Burn Out
by SpaceGrif
Summary: Chicago's resident wizard just can't get a break, whether it be demons, Archangels, vampires, and anything that goes bump in the night. When a teen with superpowers shows up in town, he just knows that today is going to be one of those days. Strange forces move in the shadows, and it is up to Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the phone book, to stop them.
1. Arrival

The building had burned down, and it wasn't my fault.

Now, normally, I'm pretty good at thinking on my feet. In my line of work, I have to be. Facing down the biggest, nastiest, slimiest, most murder-happy denizens of Supernatural Chicago isn't a job for the faint of heart. I've seen werewolves, weregoats, trolls, fairies, Faeries, Archangels, demons, Fallen, even poo-flinging bat-monkey demons from Hell.

But nothing, absolutely _nothing,_ could have prepared me for what I was getting myself into.

It was your typical Summer day in Chicago; hot and humid to the point it felt like I was breathing in more water than air. I was mainly doing my rounds, you know, usual Wizard stuff, like casting hexes, wearing pointy hats, and being more broke than a chair after a bar-fight, when I got a call. The phone in my office looked like it was from the baby boomer days, but due to my "Murphyonic Field" as Butters liked to call it, it was the only one I could have that didn't explode. I picked it up, and a high-pitched, yet surprisingly commanding voice echoed from the ancient Earpiece.

"Dresden, we have a problem." Murphy, head of Chicago Special Investigations, said from the other side.

I nodded, making a short list of what exactly could have gone horribly wrong this week. "Whaddaya need, Murph?" I asked, getting right to the point.

"3215 South Court." She said, and she hung up the phone, the dial tone playing before I had the chance to blurt out a last response.

I stood a moment longer, before hanging up the landline and, quickly grabbing my staff and trench coat, left my office building, heading towards my...'car'.

The Blue Beetle, as I had dubbed it, was a pile of junk. Even it's name didn't apply anymore, as my mechanic, Mack, had to use parts from nearly a dozen different bugs of varying makes and colors to repair the damage it got consistently. The sunroof had been ripped off by a Terminator Zombie and replaced with a white roof, the engine cover had been blasted off by an angry necromancer and replaced white, the driver's side door had been melted to slag and replaced with a grey-colored one, and the amount of scratches, dents, and rust spots on it was mind-boggling. Half the time, it didn't even start up.

It was a pile of junk, but it was _my_ pile of junk, damnit.

I got in and turned the key in the ignition, listening to the car sputter to life, and, after a few coughs and cackles, was off, driving as fast as I could, a light-speed 30 miles and hour, down the road.

...

And now, here we are.

We were in the seedier side of Chicago, where there used to be a lot of industry and factories. Now a days, it mostly served as a home to low-income residents, drug dealers, supernatural nasties, and seedy institutions. Word on the grape-vine was that Chicago PD had a whale of a time trying to police the area.

I got out of the beetle and gaped at what I saw. The building Murph had directed me to had...seen better days. In that most of it was rubble. The building had collapsed, and now next to nothing remained but the stone and wood used to build it. According to a sign laying at least 30 feet from the wreckage, it had used to be 'The Burnin' Love'. Probably a bar.

One of the officers on site turned looked at me, recognition crossing her face, and, before long, she started walking towards me. Karrin Murphy was a petite blonde, 5-foot nothing and maybe 130-pounds soaking wet. She had blonde hair currently tied back in a short ponytail, and her piercing blue eyes were framed by a surprisingly gentle face.

"Dresden." She asked, striding up to me and shaking my hand.

"What do we have, Murph? Trolls? Warlocks? Were-goats?" I asked, giving her my best game-winning smile.

Needless to say, she was unfazed.

"Teenagers." she replied flatly, turning on her heel and walking towards one of the nearby ambulances. In front of it sat a squat man in business casual attire and a vest; probably the bar-tender. Murphy jerked her head in his direction and arched an eyebrow. _Go on._ her look said.

I nodded in return and turned back to the man, examining him. He had a black eye, and his slicked-back hair was tussled and mussed. He looked at me with a haunted look in his eye. "A-are you the investigator?" he asked, looking around himself. "I-is she here?"

 _Hell's bells, this guy looks like he just came back from a war-zone._ I thought to myself, noting his shaking hands and twitchy demeanor.

"Is who here?" I asked gently, taking out my note-pad. "Tell me everything you remember. Every detail helps."

The man nodded, and took a deep breath, beginning his story. "I...honestly don't know how to explain it, without sounding nuts. It was just a regular ol' day. I was cleaning some glasses making some drink...when this woman comes in. She had this long, blonde hair, and, hear me out here... _purple eyes._ Couldn't have been more than 18. She was dressed pretty weird, with tall boots, short shorts, and big..."

"I get it." I interrupted, not wanting to see where this guy was going with this. "What happened after that?"

He nodded, and seemed to re-focus. "Alright..she sat on the bar, and asked for something called a 'Strawberry Sunrise'. I had no idea what that was, but I decided to try out anyways. She showed me this picture of another woman; long, black hair, a white mask, red coat...and she asked me if I knew where she was. I told her no, but told her I might know a guy. She looked like she was gonna listen...when this guy, Mike, comes up to her and asks her out. Poor ol' Mike never had any luck with the ladies, and he took the rejection pretty hard. He tried to grab some of her...bits, and what happened after that, it's just a blur, man!"

He looked over and stared sadly at the ruins of his bar. "Mike was on his ass before he knew it. He was drunk, and got pissed, so he and a few of his mates tried to gang up on her. I was ready to call the bouncer, when she just...beat them. All of them. Without breaking a sweat."

He pointed to one of the nearby ambulances, where a guy who looked like he had taken a liking to the wrong end of a truck pushing 70 on a highway was being loaded by trolley into the ambulance bed. If I was going to be perfectly honest with myself, the poor guy's chances didn't look good.

"That's Mike." the bartender said, shivering.

I nodded, writing it all down. "That doesn't explain the building." I asked, looking at it.

The bartender nodded, thinking back. "Her gloves...I think that's what they were, shot **missiles.** Like, real, bona-fide rockets. They hit one of the support beams and caught fire. Next thing I knew, everything was ablaze."

I nodded, and pocketed the notebook. "Thank you for your time, sir." I said, pocketing the notebook and walking back, wondering just what the hell I was dealing with.

...

Yang wandered the streets of Chicago, looking around her at the building. "Woah. This place looks _old._ " She exclaimed, looking at the brick-and-mortar buildings. She had no idea where she was, or how to get home. She was going around Vale, asking people for information about her... _personal_ mission, when there was this big light, and suddenly, she was here, in this strange world, outside a bar. Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to press on...well, until that jerk had made a move on her. Too bad the bar had burned down.

She stopped on the street, gently grabbing a man's shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, but do you know where I am?" she asked, looking innocently at the man.

He simply looked at her incredulously. "Don't you know? You're in Chicago."

"Chicago? Where's that?" Yang replied, searching her head for anything she had learned during one of Professor Oobleck's Geography classes.

The man yanked his shoulder away, staring at her for a moment before turning away, muttering under his breath, "Damn crazies."

Confused, Yang continued to wander, turning down several narrow alleys, until she turned down one, looking upon something she didn't expect to see. In the alley, a woman slouched against the wall, crying and babbling gibberish, while a man stood over her. He was tall and thin, and he had what looked like claws instead of finger nails. He began leaning down towards the woman, when Yang spoke up:

"Hey!" She shouted, walking down the alley. "Leave her alone!"

The man stopped and stood up, turning towards her, and it was then that Yang saw that this was not a man. He had a strong, elongated jaw, like that of a lizard, instead of a human face. Scales covered certain patches on his forearms and face, and his eyes were reptilian slits.

He chuckled, and he grinned as much as he could with his jaw. "Ahh...fresh meat." He said, chuckling. "And tell me, little morsel, what will you do to stop me?"

"I'll fight you!" Yang responded, unflinching. The lizard-guy stared at her for a moment, before he broke out into a full-belly laugh.

"Oh, how cute!" he said after a while, taking a step towards Yang. "Have at it, then!"

Yang smiled, and responded, in a cocky sing-song "I thought you'd never ask."

The man-lizard moved towards her. He was fast...but Yang was faster. She side-stepped a clawed uppercut, and launched several quick strikes into the man's ribs before giving him a kick in the stomach. She could hear several sharp cracks, followed by howls of pain each time she punched, and then her kick sent the creature flying into a wall, breaking it. A few seconds later, the thing stood up, limping out of the dust. He was battered and bruised, bleeding from multiple places, and his arms looked like they were the next best thing to useless, but still he stood up. He tried to growl some words at her, but because of the blood filling his lungs, it came out sounded more like "Bllaalrgfgflaiglf."

She smiled, and, giving a little wink, drew her arm back, and launched a missile at the lizard-thing. It exploded dead center on his chest, and the guy disappeared in a small mushroom cloud.

...

I honestly didn't even know where to start with this case. Chicago was a big city, even by modern standards. Searching every nook and cranny would take years, and there was no guarantee I would be able to find who I was looking for, and it's not like I could look through security cameras, for hopefully obvious reasons. So, I decided to take a different approach. One that would, hopefully, let me solve this case relatively quickly.

I sped back to the city, pushing the beetle as fast as I could, stopping by a Pizza Hut, before eventually coming up outside of my apartment building. I currently lived in a old apartment building rented out by a kindly old lady, particularly the sub-basement. I stamped my boots on the doormat and entered my apartment. It was small, but still homey. In one corner was a kitchen consisting of a single sink and table, and on the other end was a fire-place. In front of the fire place was a conglomerate of rugs, a couch, and my love-seat.

I strode forward, waving my hand as I passed some candles. " _Flickum Bicus."_ I muttered, exerting a small effort of will. The candles flicked to life, lighting up the interior of the modest apartment. As custom, my part-bobcat part cheetah cat, Mister, bounded forward, throwing his body into my legs and nearly knocking me over. Despite being old for his breed, he still acted like a particularly aloof kitten, and made no secret of being the boss. I knelt down and scratched him behind the ears and under the chin, before stepping over to the fire place and picking up one of the carpets. Under it was an old trap door, and I picked it up, climbing down the stairs that led to my lab.

The lab was located in what I would guess would be the sub-sub basement, and was where I did all my cool wizarding stuff. You know, summoning demons, brewing potions, and feeding Spirits of Knowledge porn.

The last one makes sense in context, I swear.

Anyway, there were tables lining the room, with an island in the middle creating just enough space to walk through. On one end, the room widened out, and etched in chalk on the concrete was a pentagram inside a circle, used to summon up creatures from the Nevernever. Lined with salt and iron, the circle served to contain the creatures and get information from them. Salt to bleed their power, iron to hurt them. It worked against most supernatural creatures.

For now, though, I was here for none of that. I walked over to one corner, where a skull carved with dozens of runes sat, the two orange motes that it had for eyes cast downwards, towards a Playboy magazine.

"Ohh yeah babe, take it off..." the skull muttered to itself, giving a little perverted cackle. You see, Bob was a spirit of Knowledge. For him, Knowledge was the only constant, the only reality. Thus, everything he saw in his 'imagination' was real. Put two and two together, and, well, now you know why Bob likes porn so much. For him, it was real.

"Bob." I said, walking over to his table. "I need your help with something important."

Bob looked up a moment, the motes of light growing brighter. "Heya, Harry." he said, with a little Texas cowboy accent. "What can ahh do yer fer?"

"Information." I said, taking out my notes. "I'm looking for any information regarding a person. Anything the Nevernever knows, and then some."

"What's in it for me?" Bob asked, looking up at me, bobbing up and down slightly. (heh.)

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. "No, Bob, I'm not letting you out of your skull. Even for a night."

"Aww, c'mon, Harry, I'll behave!"

"Bob, the last time I let you out of the skull, you caused an entire college fraternity to engage in a super-orgy."

"Hey, it's not like they didn't enjoy it."

" _That's completely besides the point._ "

Bob gave a grunt and sighed...well, as much as an intangible spirit inhabiting a skull can sigh, at any rate. "Fine. I'll take some more Playboys for payment, if that's the case."

"Deal. Bob, I give you permission to go out and gather information for this specific purpose. Upon completion, you are to return to your skull. You are looking for information regarding a young female with long, blonde hair, purple eyes, and... revealing clothing."

The glow left the skull, and the spirit left, flying up the hatch and out a window.

I waited a moment, before going out towards the table. I'm not the kind of guy to put all my eggs in one basket, and so, I had another plan to find this chick. And, after a little bit of chanting and an effort of will, my back-up materialized in front of me. Toot-toot, Commander of the Za Lord's Guard, was a small Fae, about 16 inches tall, with a puff of purple mad-scientist hair held down by a Sprite bottle cap. An orange box cutter hung at his back, strapped there by a rubber band.

"What does the Za-Lord request of me today?" Toot-toot said, giving a sweeping bow. Ever since I had started feeding the Faeries pizza, they had given me the title of 'Za Lord' and sworn themselves to my service.

Apparently, I'm a pretty likable guy.

"Toot, I need you to help me. Gather up some of your followers and look for a woman with long, blonde hair, purple eyes, and who looks out of place. You'll know her if you see her. Do this for me, and I'll give you an entire pizza."

Toot's eyes lit up, and he flickered into the air, throwing up a quick salute. "It shall be done, Za-Lord!" he said, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

 _Hopefully, they'll be back before long._ I thought to myself inwardly, as I went back up and sat in my love seat, cracking open a good book while I waited for more information.

...

Yang stood up after kicking the lizard-guy, breathing out a sigh of relief and relaxing her arms, Ember Celica retracting into their bracelet form. The fight hadn't been hard, but for some reason, she felt beat. Perhaps it was all the walking?

Yeah, that was probably it.

She turned around, prepared to ask the business-woman if she was all right, when she realized that the business woman had...disappeared. Yang looked around for anywhere she could have hidden, but nothing came up.

 _Man, this world just keeps getting weirder and weirder._ She thought, turning and walking back the way she had came.

The more Yang thought about it, the fewer things made sense. The world around her not only looked different, but it _felt_ different. It wasn't something she could describe, not really. But this world felt _darker,_ more depressed than Vale. The buildings reminded her of her trip to Mountain Glenn, and the people around her had pretty weird fashion sense. More than a few times, she had caught people stealing incredulous glances at her clothes. Yang wasn't the type of person who felt self-conscious, but the longer she stayed on the streets, the more she noticed people staring, and it made her feel out-of-place.

As Yang continued to ponder her current situation, outside forces had already taken note of her presence.

Yang was in another alley, honest-to-goodness lost...when a man stepped out in front of her. He wore a long, black sweater that went up his neck and down his arms, with black dress slacks and a fedora. His plain face was serious as he stepped out in front of her, and Yang took a step back, only for her to hit another man, this one larger, and dressed similarly. Yang turned and backed up in the middle of the two men, while more people dressed in black turtlenecks arrived, until she was surrounded on each side by six people.

She looked around, examining her odds, when one of the men lunged forward. He attempted to grab her, but she quickly dodged, throwing a punch into the man's chest and sending him flying back. A few more stepped up, wielding electric batons. They swung at her, and Yang dodged both, angling her body away. She took her stance, and, one foot forward, launched a devastating uppercut into one man's chin, snapping his head back, with a loud *CRACK*. He crumpled into a heap on the floor, while the other one was comparatively lucky; he got a kick to the torso, and was launched back to the crowd, blood spurting from his mouth as several organs were crushed.

Yang smiled and looked at the men in front of her. "Who's next?" she said, grinning.

Yang felt an iron grip on the back of her head, and felt herself picked up bodily and thrown. Her head landed with a muted _thunk_ as she collided with a dumpster. Her vision blurred for a few seconds, until she blinked the reflex tears away...and noticed, in the grip of the one who had thrown her, a few locks of golden hair.

Her hair.

Rage filled Yang as she stood back up, her violet eyes now red-colored, as she activated her Semblance. The earth began to shake lightly, and fire erupted from cracks in the pavement. She looked at the Sweater-wearing fiends, and spoke with a voice that dripped of hate.

"You...bastards...touched my hair." she growled, clashing Ember Celica together, the shockwave cracking the pavement around her. "Prepare to die."

...


	2. A Whole New World(s)

I had passed out for a few hours, and was awoken by Toot-toot pulling on his hair. "Za-Lord! Wake up! It is very urgent!"

I snorted a bit, and sat up, groaning and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, before turning my bleary eyes on Toot. "What is it, Toot? Have you found her?" I groaned, smoothing my mussed hair.

Toot nodded emphatically. "Yes! But she's in trouble! The Fomor found her, and now she's surrounded by servitors!"

That grabbed my attention, and my mind snapped instantly back to waking. "Where is she?" I asked, standing up and quickly grabbing my revolver and staff.

"She's not far, only a few blocks away! Run, Za-lord! Forget the pizza, just run!"

I turned and sprinted out my door, Toot-toot leading the way towards the strange woman.

...

The Turtlenecks tried to rush Yang, overwhelming her with their numbers, but it was to no avail. A single kick sent one of them flying into two of his comrades, the force cracking the brick behind them. Another hit her in the shoulder with his baton, but she just turned, grabbed him, and pile-drove him into the concrete, his legs slumping as his entire torso was buried into the concrete. Three of them pulled out assault rifles and began firing at her, but what rounds she didn't merely dodge bounced off of Yang's Aura, ricocheting and hitting a few of their comrades. She leapt forward and punched a man in his torso, the body flying _through_ a nearby building. She turned to the others, and launched explosive shells at them, which penetrated their bodies completely and hit the supports of the abandoned buildings around her. One of them hit a boiler, which exploded in a large fireball, consuming another three Turtlenecks.

The remaining turtlenecks gathered at the end of the alley and tried to focus fire, but shotgun shells fired from Ember Celica took them down quickly.

...

I was running as fast as I could, legs and arms pumping as I followed Toot to where this woman was. We were a few blocks away when a thunderclap split the air, and one of the buildings in the Industrial district exploded.

 _Damn._ I thought, running harder after the mote of light that was Toot. _Those Servitors must be packing some serious heat._

...

Yang stopped in front one of the last of her assailants, her arm launching out and grabbing his neck. She lifted him in the air and punched his gut, hard enough to create an indention in his back. The man's eyes rolled back and he went limp, and Yang tossed the body away, into the rubble of the burning building. _That was the last of them._ she thought, retracting her bracelets.

Unbeknownst to Yang, however, one of the Servitors had survived, and pulled out a knife, slowly creeping towards the unsuspecting Huntress.

A thunderclap split the air, and Yang turned behind her, her gauntlets up. The Servitor behind her froze, and she watched as a pool of liquid formed in the middle of his torso, before he collapsed. Standing behind him, however, was a man Yang hadn't seen before. He was tall, taller even than Uncle Qrow. He wore a long leather trench coat, and in one hand was a smoking revolver. In his left hand, he held a wood staff carved with weird symbols that looked like random lines to Yang. He had deep, dark brown eyes, and a chiseled face with a light stubble.

"Who are you?" Yang asked suspiciously, keeping her guard up.

The man responded, in a light baritone "Harry Dresden, Wizard and private investigator."

Harry holstered his revolver, and held up his hands. "Look, I'm not armed: Why don't you put those...whatever they are, away?"

Yang blinked and realized that she was still tensed. "Oh." she said, relaxing her body and retracting Ember Celica. Her eyes changed from red to their normal violet color. "Sorry."

Harry nodded, and looked around a moment. Yang could hear, in the distance, sirens growing louder and closer with each second.

"Come on," Harry said, turning and walking away. "We'd better get out of here before the cops show up."

Bewildered and not knowing what else to do, Yang decided to follow him.

"Nice Apartment." Yang said jokingly as they entered Harry's apartment.

Yang looked around for a moment, her eyebrows contracting, before asking the question she had been dying to ask for a while; "Do you have any food?"

Harry looked at her, cocking an eyebrow, before answering "Oh, sure. In fact, I have a dozen refrigerators completely stocked, just for you." he said dryly.

Yang's eyes lit up for a moment, and she dashed to the kitchen, fast enough to leave wind behind her. She looked around for the refrigerator's, before her eyes settled on what looked like a weird cooler. She opened the cooler, rummaging around in it for a moment, throwing out several beer cans, cold dinners, and some bottles of milk, before her eyes settled on her prize: a single, perfectly cooked steak. She reached into the ice-box and pulled it out, looking around for a microwave, only to not find one. Disappointed, she just decided to eat it cold.

...

Dresden, meanwhile, needed to make a quick call. Before he could, however, his ancient phone, a holdover, from the 50's, rang, and Dresden picked it up.

"Hello, Dresden he..."

"GOD DAMNIT DRESDEN!" A voice shouted from the other end of the phone.

Dresden actually had to physically lean back from the phone due to the volume of the shout, wincing as he waited for the ringing to stop. "Ummm...who is this?"

"You know damn well who it is, Dresden!" the vexed voice replied.

...

"Hello, please leave a message at the tone?"

"This isn't a fucking joke, Dresden!"

 _Whelp, there goes that plan._ Dresden thought inwardly, shaking his head. "Err...what do you need, Murph?" He asked, hoping to end this as soon as possible. With luck...

"Gee, I don't know, Dresden. But I find it awfully convenient that, not two hours after I hired you onto a case, half a street block burned down."

Oh. _Oh shit._

"Stars and bloody stones, Murph, it wasn't me this time!"

"Oh, bull-fucking-shit."

"It's true!" Dresden replied desperately. "Listen, Murph, you gotta believe me, it was that girl you hired me to find!"

"Speaking of which," Murph said from the other end of the phone, "Have you found her yet? The higher-ups think there's a serial arsonist running around, and they're _really_ riding my ass on this one. Or have you just been sitting on your ass this entire time?" she interrupted, still sounding vexed.

Eager to change the subject, Harry nodded to himself, speaking emphatically and with no small amount of smug bastard mixed into his normal voice. "Actually, yes. She's at my apartment right now. It was a piece of cake."

"I'll be there soon." Murph said, hanging up the phone, once again, before Dresden could say anything else.

Dresden sighed, and hung up the phone, to get a beer...

Only to find his dinner getting eaten by the mysterious girl.

"Hey! Get your hands off of that!" he said, snatching the steak back mid-bite. He examined the piece of prime meat, relieved to find only a few pieces chomped steak, relieved to find that most of the steak remained. It was then, that Dresden made the biggest mistake of his life.

He looked back.

She sat there, holding her stomach, looking at Dresden with the most adorable puppy eyes he had ever seen, with those deep, soulful, violet eyes...

Dresden looked away, taking care not to initiate a Soulgaze. The eyes were windows into the soul, and he didn't want this girl to see what was marked on his soul every bit as much as he didn't want to see hers.

"Soo...hungry..." she groaned, continuing her barrage of rapid-fire cute.

 _Hell's Bells, she's good at this. Come on Dresden, resist..._

Dresden sighted, and turned around, thrusting the steak into her hand. "Here." he snarled.

Her eyes lit up, and she continued to happily chomp at the steak. Meanwhile, Dresden pulled up a chair and sat down, pulling out his note-pad. "So, since I fed you and all...why don't you tell me a bit about yourself? Name, birth, and all that?"

She finished the steak and gave a little burp, before thinking, and replying after a short while: "Well, my name is Yang Xiao Long..."

...

Dresden stared, dumbfounded, at Yang. He, literally, could not believe what he was hearing. Absentmindedly, he reached back and pinched his neck. _Nope, not dreaming._

"So, you're saying that you're a 17-year old, born on some strange world I have never even heard of, trained to hunt monsters that literally feed on negative emotion, can bench-press several tons, and you possess gauntlets that fire shotgun shells that routinely violate the laws of physics. In addition, you are one of a ton of children training at special schools to hunt these monsters, and, to top it all off, some of you are half-animal."

"Yep." Yang said simply, swinging her legs from the counter. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Dresden was about to reply how utterly batshit insane that was, when his door opened.

"Hey, Harry, I saw you weren't home, and Mouse wanted a walk, so I decided to take him ou..."

Standing in the door was Thomas Raith, Vampire of the White Court...and Harry's half-brother. With pale skin and dark hair, framed by a face straight out of one of Molly's 'male model' magazines, and perfectly matched white leather jacket and dark pants, Thomas was literally a walking sex-machine.

He stopped mid-sentence and stared at Yang, eyes slowly widening, swirls of blue coloring the irises.

"Hubba-hubba." he said, continuing to stare. "Harry, who's the girl?"

Mouse, meanwhile, continued on his merry way, walking over to Yang and standing on his hind legs, sniffing her. Yang smiled, and offered her hand to Mouse who, after warily sniffing it, gave her a lick.

"Aww, who's a good boy? Who? You are! Yooouuu are!" Yang said, using the same tone one would use to a baby. Mouse rolled over, and Yang scratched his stomach and behind the ears. Mouse's tong lolled out of his mouth, and his eyes seemed to convey a message to Dresden: _I like this girl. Her tummy-rubs are awesome._

Dresden looked back-and forth, from his obviously turned-on sex-fueled half brother, to the blonde powerhouse from another dimension, to his dog, and finally, to Mister, quite probably the only sane one in the apartment, before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It's going to be one of _those_ days, isn't it?"

...

Yang was busy scratching Mouse's belly, Harry and...whoever that guy was, talking about things in the kitchen, when the door suddenly flew open. Yang stopped and looked over, startled at the sudden noise. In the door stood a strange woman Yang didn't recognize. Yang was, however, able to take a look at her and realize that she meant business. She stood tall and straight, her blue eyes set in steel. Each step displayed confidence, each movement practical and practiced. She wore simple slacks, combat boots, and a white dress shirt, with a concealed pistol holster holding two guns to her sides, and her blonde hair was in a shirt pony tail.

The woman scanned the room, looking everything over until her eyes settled on Yang. Her eyes gained an almost visible fiery glow, and she started approaching Yang.

Yang stood up and began backing up as the woman closed the distance with her. Her back hit the wall, and the woman continued on.

"You." She growled, stopping close to Yang, her glacier-cold eyes glaring at her. The woman, however, was _shorter_ than Yang by a good few inches, thus forcing her to glare _up._ Unfortunately, this didn't make her any less (ironically) intimidating.

"Me?" Yang said, confused by who this woman was, or what she was doing here. "What about me?"

The woman sighed angrily. "Young lady, you have absolutely _no idea_ how much trouble you are in." she growled, poking Yang's chest. "I don't know what corner of whatever magical BS you come from, but here in Chicago, we have these things called 'laws'. And they say you can't burn down bars, understand? That's called 'Arson'!"

Yang stood there, flabbergasted. "They started it! They tried to grab me!" she responded defensively. "Not my fault that..."

"And the appropriate response is to _burn the bar down?!_ " the woman said, incredulously.

"Well, aha..." Yang began, before she continued.

"And not _three hours_ after the fact, you burnt an entire _city block_ to the ground! What do you have to say for yourself, kid?!"

...

"They touched my hair." Yang said, looking the woman in the eyes. " _Nobody_ touches my hair."

The woman simply stared, eyes wide for a moment, before throwing her hands in the air. "Oh, for f..."

It was then that Harry decided to come back from the other room, trailed by the man who, curiously, looked like he had recently taken a shower, his hair wet down, and he was shivering slightly. Harry looked over, and saw the woman, cracking a grin. "Hey, Murph." he said. "Long time, no see."

The woman... _Murphy,_ cast one last sidelong glare at Yang, before turning and speaking to Harry. "Dresden. Do you know what she is?" Murphy asked, pointing to her. "Because I'm pretty sure she's not human."

Dresden shook his head. "I've got no clue. She says she comes from this place called 'Remnant' but I haven't heard jack about a place called anything like that."

"Is there any way to find out?"

Dresden thought for a moment, before turning to Yang. "Where are you from?"

"Remnant."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No."

Dresden turned back to Murphy and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, there you go."

Murphy nodded. "Well, I'll have to take her in to the station, Dresden."

 _The station? Is she gonna try and arrest me?_ Yang thought, thinking back to their dialogue. Just in case, she tensed herself, ready to fight if need be. She didn't want to get arrested: she still had to find a way back home. But before that could happen, Harry stepped in between them

"Come on, Murph." he said, calmly. "You don't need to take her down, do you?"

Murphy looked at Dresden, before replying, calmly but firmly "Dresden. I am an officer of the Law. And that means upholding the law, no matter how much I don't like it. This young lady..."

"Yang." Dresden supplied.

"Yang." Murphy continued. "Burned down several buildings, and I have a duty to take her in. Now, get out of my way."

She tried to step around Dresden, but Dresden again stepped out in front of her. "She did it in self-defense, Murph. And besides...it was the Fomor."

Murphy's eyes widened a bit. "The Fomor?"

Dresden nodded, before leaning in close and whispering something into Murphy's ear, something that Yang couldn't hear. Murphy simply nodded, before looking at Yang.

"Alright, Yang." She said, sighing. "You can go free. But if I see any more burned down buildings, you're coming with me."

Murphy turned and walked out the door, closing it softly behind her.

There was silence for a few beats, then Dresden let out a sigh and slumped onto his couch. "That was close." he said, rubbing his head.

Yang looked from the door to Dresden, raising an eyebrow in the same way she would with Ruby after she did something... _questionable._ "Was that your girlfriend or something?" She asked.

Yang was met by a very heavy sigh. "It's...complicated." Dresden said.

...

Dresden nodded, checking his equipment one last time. One never knew what you could encounter in the Never.

It had been several hours since Murphy's departure, and he had gotten some preparations done.

First, he had packed a satchel with extra salt and iron shavings, for use in case they met any of the nastier things in the Nevernever. Then, he had Bob pop out again to gather some more information. His asking price was a picture of Yang without clothing, but Harry had managed to persuade him to take dirty Japanese comics instead. Lastly, he had made a few potions and alchemical mixtures, all designed to combat Fae should he come into contact with the nasties.

Ready as they were ever going to be, Dresden and Yang left the building, Dresden leading Yang to the "Blue" Beetle. Yang stopped for a moment, gazing at the run-down bug.

"Are we going to ride in...that?" She asked, looking skeptically at the car.

Dresden turned to the girl and nodded his head. "Yeah. Do you have a problem with my car?"

"Well...does it even run?" Yang asked, glancing at the beat up hood.

"Like a five-star Olympic athlete." Dresden responded, before sliding into the car. He twisted the ignition, and the car, slowly, sputtered to life. Dresden leaned over and turned the hand-crank for the window. "Get in."

Yang stood a moment and sighed. "I wish I had Bumblebee." she said, before sliding into the car. Once she was inside, Dresden turned to her. "Alright. What can you tell me about your home?" he asked her.

Yang thought for a moment, before replying. "Well...we lived in this awesome house, on the island Patch. We were pretty close to the woods. I lived there with my half-sister, Ruby, our dad."

Dresden frowned a moment, before snapping his fingers. "I know just the place."

He drew the car out of it's spot, and the two began driving.

"Where are we going?" Yang asked curiously.

Dresden smiled and winked at her. "Patience, young padawan. You'll see."

Yang was silent a moment, before asking "What's a padawan?"

Dresden could not believe his ears. "You've never watched Star Wars?!"

"What's Star Wars?"

...

After a long drive and a lecture about Star Wars, the duo arrived at their destination. It was a homely cabin in the country, a good distance from Chicago. It was nestled at the forest's edge, and the leaves all around them practically glowed green in the summer sun. The cabin itself was well-maintained, and there was a small garden in the front, filled with everything from yellow tulips to tomato plants. Dresden got out of the car, and approached the cabin, Yang close behind.

"Why are we here?" Yang asked, looking around her.

"Because." Dresden said, gesturing around him. "I'm going to try and open a Way to your place. With any luck, I'll be able to pull it off."

"Why couldn't we do it at your apartment?" Yang asked.

"Because, in order for a Way to work, you need a strong link between the place we come from and where we're going. It's like using a land-line. My apartment has a different feel than your house, a different _soul._ If we tried to go from my Apartment, it wouldn't work."

Without another words, Harry closed his eyes and concentrated. Yang saw, at first, nothing...and then, suddenly, a 'hole' opened up in front of her. This hole was white, and had a strange, multi-colored halo surrounding it.

Dresden let out a breath, and examined the portal, before nodding his approval. "Ready?" he asked, turning to Yang.

 _This is soooo weird._ Yang thought. But she had to get back to her team. Who knows how they were reacting to her disappearance right now?!

"Ready." Yang said, and they both stepped through the portal.


	3. And Down the Rabbit Hole They Went

"Woah." Yang said as she stepped through the portal, into what Harry called the 'Nevernever'. She had expected some weird stuff: given what she had seen since coming here, she had tried to prepare as best she could. But she couldn't prepare herself for...whatever this was. Sure, it looked similar to where they just were, but it felt...different. She could practically feel the unease in the back of her mind, looking at the place. Everything seemed fuzzy, as though it was slightly out-of-focus. The trees around them swayed slightly, but there was no wind. Unconsciously, Yang shivered.

Dresden, for the most part, looked completely fine with what was going on, stepping out of the portal and striding forward, his coat waving behind him. He stopped a moment, casting a glance behind him and raising an eyebrow. "You coming?" he asked.

Yang tentatively put one foot out, feeling the solid ground in front of her, before taking another step. Cautiously, she approached Dresden, taking care to avoid anything that looked even remotely suspicious. She stood next to Dresden and nodded. "Ready to go." she said, confident that the ground beneath them was, for the most part, real. Harry nodded and turned, striding through the forest. Yang actually had to walk a bit faster than normal to keep up with the tall man's long stride, which covered leagues with each step.

They walked for a bit in the forest, Yang following Dresden down several twisting, winding paths, until, eventually, Dresden stopped, holding up his hand and raising a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Yang stopped and looked around, until her eyes spotted, about a hundred feet away, a human-like form. It was large, a lot larger than either Yang or Dresden, at the very least twelve feet tall. It has sickly green skin, and it's muscles seemed impossibly large, almost deformed.

Yang's eyes widened, and she looked to Dresden. _What is that?_ her glance seemed to say. Dresden shook his head and pointed to a small path to their right. Slowly and silently, they began to creep away. Eventually, the sounds of whatever that thing was faded into the background, before disappearing entirely. Dresden let out a held breath. "That was too close." he muttered, casting a furtive glance behind him.

"What was that thing?" Yang asked, looking back. "And why didn't we just walk past it?"

"Trust me, Yang," Dresden said, shaking his head. "That thing is out of your league, right now. That was an Ogre: A large, aggressive Fae. They _really_ like violence. A lot. Seriously, they'll throw punches on the drop of a dime." he said, snapping his fingers for emphasis. "They're strong enough to throw cars like baseballs, and I'm not going to tell you what they do to you afterwards. Plus, they're immune to fire."

"Oh." Yang said, understanding. They continued walking for a while, the forest trees passing them by, when Yang noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She glanced to her right, and saw, in a path running parallel to theirs, a woman. She was tall and lean, wearing a dark, raven-black skirt and short and a deep red shirt. Her face was obscured by an elaborate, white mask with red marking, although dark hair showed out the back. Red pinpoint eyes stared at Yang for a moment. A memory stirred in the back of her head, calling her back to days long ago. A memory of her uncle's picture came to the forefront.

"Could it be...?" Yang murmured, trying to think. Then, a dark portal with a red halo appeared out of nowhere, and, like that, the woman was gone.

"What is it?" Dresden asked, glancing at her curiously. Yang thought about telling him what she saw, about how... _familiar_ the woman seemed, but she decided against it.

"Nothing." she said, grinning. "Just this place messing with my mind."

Dresden stared at her a moment, looking her up and down, before shrugging his shoulders and continuing to walk. "Suit yourself."

They started off again, neither of them having any idea the events that would follow.

...

"Yang? Yaaaaaaaang!" Ruby shouted, looking around her, confused. The area round her distinctly reminded her of the Emerald Forest, but everything seemed...different. Weird. Everything around her seemed out of place, awkward, as though it was a drawing made by an artist who had never seen the area he was painting, only having it described to them.

She had first appeared here when she tried to follow Yang through the portal that they'd found. She and Yang were simply out on the town, having a sisters night out, although Yang was asking a bunch of people about this picture she had on her Scroll...when they found a bunch of White Fang robbing a Dust shop. They'd chased the Fang to their lair, when they'd found this portal. Insisting that the robbers had gone through, Yang had stepped through, and Ruby, not wanting to be left alone, had followed her. When she had stepped out, she had found herself in this forest, with Yang nowhere to be found. She wandered for about an hour, to where she was now.

"It's official." she groaned, leaning on a tree. "I'm lost. _Hopelessly_ lost."

She flopped on the ground, and stared up at the forest...and found a dark-hooded figure standing above her.

"Well, well, what have we here?" The figure said.

Ruby bolted up and stood back to her feet, hand dropping down to Crescent Rose. The man simply stood in front of her, his face shrouded by a dark hood. The best Ruby could make out was a dark beard, flecked with silver, and a single, pure white eye. He held a walking stick in one hand, and the rest of his body was likewise hidden by the folds of his dark robe.

"Who are you?" Ruby asked suspiciously. The man didn't supply an immediate answer, instead staring at her a moment more. "You may call me the Gatekeeper." he said after a short while. Ruby nodded.

"N-ice to meet you, Mr...Gatekeeper." Ruby responded. "I am..."

"I know who you are." The Gatekeeper interrupted. "And that is enough. Do not be so free to give out your name, Young One. Names have Power. Gain someone's Name, and you gain control of them."

Ruby stood, not knowing what to say. "Soo...what do you need from me?" She asked him, unsure.

The Gatekeeper hummed, before turning and moving away. "Walk with me." he said.

Ruby stood a moment, before going with him, jogging to catch up. they walked in silence for a bit, before the Gatekeeper spoke once more. "With my eye, I see much." he said, looking at Ruby. "But the currents of Time are fickle, young Huntress, and I know not which path it will take until it is too late to turn back."

He looked at her, and his eye seemed to drill into Ruby's very soul. "I dare not tell you what I see. Not precisely. But I can advise."

"What does that mean?" Ruby asked, bewildered. But the Gatekeeper continued on. "I foresee a path of darkness in front of you. Pain. Betrayal. Loss. But what I see need not come to pass."

The Gatekeeper stopped and looked away. "But never you mind the prophecies of an old wizard. Now should be a time of happiness."

And, with that, the Gatekeeper was gone, a flash of light and the smell of incense left behind.

"Ruby!"

Ruby turned, and was greeted by her golden-haired sister sweeping Ruby up into her arms and squeezing as hard as she could. Ruby felt the air being squeezed out of her lungs, and she gasped a few words.

"Please...stop..." she said, kicking her feet. Yang smiled and let her down. "Sorry, sis." she said, although her smile indicated otherwise. Ruby smiled. "Where've you been, Yang?!" She said, crossing her arms.

Yang grinned, and began to tell her story. "Well, when I got here, I wandered around the city for a bit, which was weird, because the City kinda looked like Mountain Glenn before it, you know, got overrun and stuff, and these guys attacked me! One of them touched my hair, so I beat them up, and then..."

"Who's that?" Ruby said, already not paying attention. Yang looked behind her to see who she was referring to, before understanding. "Oh, that's Harry."

"Dresden."

" _Harry._ " she continued. "He's a friend."

"And speaking of friends..." Harry said, looking around him. "We'd better go."

So saying, the man and two teenagers turned and returned back the way they came.

...

Harry sighed and flopped down on his couch, rubbing his head. It had been a long day, to say the least. Burned buildings aside, he had spent most of this day running around the mortal world, the Nevernever, and making sure Murphy didn't kill him. At the end, the trio had arrived at Harry's apartment at around 10:00 at night, and after another episode of cute involving Ruby and Mouse, the two sisters had claimed Harry's bed, closing the door and snuggled under his covers, leaving Harry the couch. Mouse had also elected to sleep with the girls, while Mister claimed Harry's chest as a sleeping mat.

…...

Harry rubbed his head, wondering how he was supposed to take care of two girls until he found a way to get them back home, before eventually falling asleep, deciding that little problems like food could wait until tomorrow.

…

Dresden woke up and groaned, rubbing his head and sitting up. He rubbed his eyes blearily, wondering if the events of the past few days had all been a dream. His hopes were dashed when he smelled the sweet aroma of bacon wafting from his small kitchenette. He stood up and rubbed his neck, and turned to find Yang and Ruby both in the kitchen. Yang was wearing a long, white cooking smock, and was using a spatula to stir the bacon in one pan, and another to stir eggs. Ruby, on the other hand, was secreting away pieces of bacon to Mouse, who sat next to her, his head resting on her lap. Yang heard him wake up, and she turned her head towards him, smiling. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully, gesturing toward the preparing food. "We woke up before you did, so we decided to make breakfast."

Dresden was about to protest the fact that they had used his food without his permission, but his stomach growled, and suddenly Harry was _very_ aware that he had eaten next to nothing since the morning before, when he had first gotten the call from Murphy. In the interest of his stomach, he decided to bite his tongue, and sat down at the small table. Once there, he decided to examine his guests a bit more closely.

The younger one, Ruby, seemed... _young_ was the first word that came to Dresden's mind. She sported a slim, if athletic, figure, and looked like she still hadn't gone through puberty. Her hair was cut short, with a single, long bang with red highlights framing the right side of her face. Her eyes were a light silver, which Harry had, at first, mistaken for gray. But her eyes were brighter, the color in them more metallic, somehow. She wore a black-and red dress, a silver belt buckle in the shape of a rose on her hip. And lastly, a red hood and cape hung from her back, pinned to her shoulders with two silver crosses.

Yang, the eldest one, could not be more different from her younger sister. In stark contrast to Ruby's dark hair, Yang's was a bright gold, the color of ripe wheat. She was also a good deal taller and more... _developed_ in some places, Dresden noticed, his cheeks coloring slightly. Her eyes were a bright violet, although Dresden could've sworn that they looked red when he first met Yang.

Yang took the pot off the stove, scooping the eggs and bacon into a plate and setting it in front of her sister and Dresden, setting aside a plate for herself. "Breakfast is served." she said, stepping back. Both Ruby and Dresden dug in immediately, wolfing down their food like it would be their last meal.

Dresden munched down on his food, taking bites of perfectly cooked, crispy bacon in-between bites of cheesy, fluffy eggs. Mouse looked on enviously, but Dresden paid him no mind, devouring anything placed in front of him.

At the end, Dresden leaned back and burped loudly, his hunger sated, before getting up and helping Yang with the dishes and clean-up, while Ruby took Mouse on a walk.

"Those were some good eggs." Dresden complimented, after a long silence. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

Yang finished polishing a dish to a sheen before she offered an answer. "When Ruby and I were little, our mom, Summer, died. Our dad just..shut down. Didn't come out of his room, didn't take showers, didn't even cook dinner for Ruby or me. So I decided to start cooking for us."

She washed another dish, putting it on the drying rack, before continuing. "I was pretty bad at it at first, burned most of our food. But, eventually, I got kinda good at it. Dad came out of his shell after a while, but I never really stopped cooking, even when we went to Beacon."

"Beacon?" Dresden asked, unfamiliar with the name.

"A Huntsman Academy, one of four. It's where some kids go to learn how to fight Grimm. Essentially monsters of darkness." Yang added, anticipating Dresden's next question.

They continued washing dishes in silence, neither willing to start a new topic.

…

"This town is too confusing." Ruby grumbled, scratching her head thoughtfully. Once again, she had managed to lose herself, walking Mouse around the block, only to discover she was nowhere near where she started. Despairing, she tried to call Yang, only to realize that none of the infrastructure for Scrolls existed, so she got absolutely no signal. And, to make things even worse, Mouse seemed determined to go down every alley he saw.

The two went down another alley, when Mouse suddenly stopped. Ruby halted alongside and looked at the dog. The massive hound's haunches were raised, and his lips pulled back from his teeth, and he growled, the sound resonating from deep within' the dogs chest, before giving a bark that, to Ruby, sounded like an airship taking off.

Then, out of the shadows, answering growls resonated.

Out of nowhere, almost a dozen Beowolves stepped out of the shadows, with an Alpha Beowolf accompanying them, larger than all the others, and with white spikes protruding out their backs.

Ruby reached behind her and calmly withdrew Crescent Rose. The weapon quickly grew and expanded into it's full Scythe form, the tip embedding itself in the concrete.

The tension hung in the air a moment, and then, as one, the beowolves charged.

Ruby quickly assessed her situation. They were in an alley, narrow and confined, which meant that she wouldn't be able to use her Semblance and agility to it's full potential...but that also meant that the Wolves could not charge her at once.

Ruby cocked Crescent Rose, and fired off two rounds, each round killing a single Beowolf. As they got nearer, Ruby raised her scythe, using another bullet's momentum to propel the scythe forward, bisecting another Grimm, the bullet impacting the nearby wall, sending rubble tumbling into the alley. She turned and leapt forward, propelling herself upwards with another shot from Crescent Rose. She turned and spun midair, and, turning the scythe, fired once more, turning in a spiral of cutting death towards the ground. Three more hapless Grimm fell to the red whirlwind, but one got lucky, a single strike sending Ruby tumbling into a wall. She recovered quickly, deftly avoiding a follow-up strike and cutting the offending Beowolf in half. The remaining five Beowolves backed away, and the Alpha took his turn. The massive Grimm roared and charged at her, it's movement a blur. Ruby dodged the first strike, but the second was unavoidable, Ruby barely managing to catch the blow on Crescent Rose, the power of the strike sending her back.

Ruby re-oriented herself and propelled herself forward, the blade swinging in a massive arch above her head, which hit the Alpha and sent it down to the concrete. Ruby leapt back, ejecting the spent magazine and slapping a new one in, just as the five other Beowolves returned, leaping forward. She aimed and fired, two more beowolves dissipating from the shots, and dispatched the third with a vertical swing. However, the other two got too close, launching a rapid series of strikes that put Ruby out of balance and depleted her Aura. She attempted to hit back, only to realize that Crescent Rose had flown from her grip.

Ruby turned and activated her Semblance, speeding away and leaving rose petals in her wake, she slid and recovered Crescent Rose, getting up again...to find Mouse standing in the way of the two Beowolves.

"Mouse, no!" She shouted, but the dog stood his ground, growling at the larger wolves.

Mouse, however, seemed to grow even larger, his shadow shifting and changing. Instead of a dog, the shadow grew and lengthened. The shoulders became lumpier and more muscled, while the man of hair became larger and more wavy, resembling fire more than hair. Mouse remained the same, but the shadow now resembled a strange cross between a lion and a dog. Suddenly, his paws began to glow, and an ethereal blue fire emanated from his paws. Mouse growled and leapt into combat, his jaws locking around one of the wolves and tossing it back, smashing the Grimm into the wall. The other Beowolf roared and swung a talon, but Mouse turned and caught it's hand, ripping it off. The Grimm howled in pain, and Mouse seized the opportunity to leap onto the Grimm, his paws burning through it's chest. He clamped his jaws around the Grimm's neck, and Ruby heard bones crack from the force of the bite. Mouse flung the already-dissolving carcass away, and suddenly, the two were alone in the alley.

Ruby stared, amazed, at what she had just seen. Some dogs, she knew, were combat capable and even had Auras of their own, like Zwei, but what she had just seen was like nothing she'd witnessed before, even in Zwei. She got the feeling, deep in her soul, that Mouse was no ordinary dog.

Mouse turned and looked at Ruby, the fire on his paws dimming and going out. His shadow shifted and changed, until it resembled a normal shadow. He padded up to Ruby and looked at her with wise, intelligent eyes. _Let's go home._ they seemed to say.

Ruby reached down and scratched Mouse's ears as he led her out of the alley. "Good dog." she whispered to him.

...

A/N: As any fan of the Dresden Files series can likely see plainly right now, this fic already has some... _issues_ with continuity. I wrote most of these during my exam months, and the disjointedness is plain to see.

Also, just to clarify, this is Ruby and Yang taken from Post-Volume 2, Pre-Volume 3. The first chapter of this was written even before Vol.3's pilot episode.


	4. Burnin' Stores and Alternate Timelines

After the encounter with the Grimm, Ruby decided to go back to the apartment almost immediately, not wanting to risk any other dangers. She walked into the apartment building and headed down the hall, and to the sub-basement. She came to the door and rapped quickly on it three times. Mouse looked up at her, and she smiled, scratching under his chin.

 _Look at those big, dopey eyes._ She thought. _He kinda reminds me of Zwei…._

A pang of homesickness hit her in the chest, and Ruby wondered how everybody else was doing. Had Weiss or Blake noticed that she and Yang were gone, seemingly without a trace? Was dad worrying about them?

 _Well, at least I have Yang._ She thought, smiling. _If anybody would know what to do, Yang would!_

The door in front of her clicked open, swinging back on creaky hinges, revealing the dressed form of Mr. Dresden, in clad in his dark leather coat, standing in the doorway, his shadow towering over her. HE held his staff in one hand, and car keys in the other.

"Well, look who's back." he growled, intense brown eyes staring down at her, making Ruby instinctively shrink back. Mouse, meanwhile, happily trotted into the room.

"You were gone a long time." he said. "Where were you?"

"Well…" Ruby said, shuffling her feet. "I took Mouse on a walk."

Dresden raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he said. "I could never have guessed. I thought you disappeared out of thin air."

 _But that's not even possible…_ Ruby thought. Regardless, she continued her story. "And I got to thinking…"

"Always a dangerous pastime, that."

"That I'd take a little detour." she finished.

Dresden's thick eyebrows contracted again, and sensing the scolding on his tongue, Ruby began hurrying along her story. "So then, I got turned around, and then Mouse went down this alley, and everything smelled bad and it was really dirty, and then there were Grimm, and then we fought, and then Mouse got fire-paws, and then he chomped one, and then…"

"Stars and stones, kid, slow down!" he interrupted. Ruby gave a small peep and clamped her hand over her mouth. Giving a long sigh, Dresden stood back, holding the door open, allowing Ruby to walk into the apartment right under his arm. Yang was sitting on the couch reading a book when Ruby walked in, and stood up when she saw her, lilac eyes widening. "You okay, Rubes?" she asked. "You look really shaken up."

Ruby nodded. "I'm fine, Yang." she said. Then, leaning in, she spoke in a lower whisper. "But I think Mr. Dresden is angry."

Yang smiled, and gave a little chuckle as she ruffled her sister's hair. "I think that's just his face, Ruby." she said. "He's probably not mad."

Dresden had come back, after closing the door and shutting the blinds. He sat down on the leather love-couch opposite of the couch, and gestured for Ruby and her sister to sit. They did so, and he opened up his note-book, taking out a pen.

"Alright." he began. "I'm going to ask you guys some questions, things I need to I want you to answer them as best as you can. Understand?" Then, he added, "Yang, I already know that you told me some things, but I'm going to need some more details, alright?"

Both Ruby and Yang nodded quickly, and with a serious expression over his face, Dresden began. "Alright. Question one: where are you from?"

Yang answered this one: "Well, originally, we're from the island of Patch, although nowadays, we live in Beacon, near the Kingdom of Vale."

Dresden wrote something down in his notes, nodding. "Alright. Where Vale? Can you describe it?"

The two girls looked at each other, raising their eyebrows in unison. "Ummm…" Ruby muttered. "Well, Vale is on Remnant, which is the name of the planet. It's right next to this big mountain range, and it has the Forest of Forever Fall to the north, where the leaves are always red. Then there's the Emerald Forest, which is...a green forest, and then there's the ocean."

Dresden nodded one more time. "You people sure love to name places after colors." he joked, although his mouth remained in a serious frown. Ruby didn't know if he was joking, or just making a comment.

She decided that it was a little bit of both.

Finally, Dresden looked up, and his own brown eyes seemed to pierce into her soul. "Last question, and I need you to answer it. What, exactly, is a Grimm?"

Ruby and Yang both stopped, as their ears heard that familiar word. Even after all this time, the mention of the word still brought a distinct sense of….not dread, but an altogether different kind of unease. They had trained to fight the beasts almost all their life, but they had long since stopped dwelling on the matter. But now, explaining it to somebody else was entirely different.

It was Yang who took the lead, at first. "Well, remember what I said earlier, about them being creatures of darkness?" she said. "Well, they are literally darkness and hate incarnate. They hate humanity, and will stop at nothing to destroy it. There's an endless horde of them, constantly attacking, which is why Ruby and I learned to fight and have weapons: so we can fight the Grimm and help humanity."

"They all have black fur." Ruby continued in a hushed tone. "With white masks on their faces. The older ones have red patterns, and they all look different. Some of them are kinda like wolves, but they walk on two legs. Others are like big bears. There's a lot of variants, though."

Dresden nodded, frowning. A mild shadow crossed his face, and he shook his head. "That sounds pretty nasty." He murmured, looking back up at the two barely-teens across from him. "And they send kids to fight them?"

Yang shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean, when you phrase it like _that…"_

Dresden sighed, and snapped his book shut. "Alright. I'll see what I can dig up for you two." he said. He stood up to his full height, checking an old analogue watch on his wrist. "Now, if you two would excuse me, I'm already late for something, and Murph'll flay me alive if I'm not there soon."

So saying, Dresden spun on his heels, his duster flaring behind him dramatically. He opened the door and stood in it for a moment, before turning and calling back to the huntresses. "And I swear, if I come back and find out you literally ate me out of house and home, I'll turn you both into frogs."

The door slammed closed, leaving Yang and Ruby alone in the small apartment, save for Mouse and Mister.

…..

Dresden strode to his car, the Blue Beetle, and opened the car with his key. The Blue Beetle was actually several different colors, from a black hood to a white door, and other mix 'n matched parts, making it resemble a piece of modern art more than an actual car. Each part was scavenged by his mechanic, the legendary Mac, from other Beetles. In fact, Mac was the only reason it was still running, between getting the hood torn off by super-zombies, clawed by hexenwolves, shot, exploded, and a dozen other things.

Dresden inserted the key into the ignition, turning and feeling the old engine sputter to life. He spun the car around, heading down towards Chicago's seedier sectors. On the way, he thought about what he had learned from Yang and Ruby.

 _Well, one thing's for sure._ He thought. _They're definitely not from around here._

But they weren't from Earth, and they _definitely_ weren't Faeries…

Only one explanation made sense in Dresden's mind,and it wasn't one he liked to think about.

In the Nevernever, nearly every world, every possibility, every universe was, ironically enough, real, and exists at all points in time.

Meaning that, in all likelihood, these two had come from there.

But _how?!_ As far as he could tell, neither of them possessed magic...well, not as far as he knew it, anyway. There certainly was something _off_ about them, but nothing in the realm of serious magic. Ergo, no way for them to get from point A to point B in the Never.

The more Dresden thought about it, the more questions he had, and the fewer answers he was able to give.

He came to a stop-light and rested his head on the steering wheel, sighing.

"Why does everything have to happen to me?" he grumbled. "There's gotta be a wizard somewhere else who'd _love_ to do what I do. But nooo, Dresden's gotta do everything."

A honking horn snapped Dresden out of his thoughts, and he slammed on the gas, put-put-putting towards Downtown Chicago.

Dresden arrived at downtown Chicago later in the afternoon, next to an old bookstore. The sign atop the doorframe read 'Zedong's Book Emporium" in large red capital lettering on a black background. The door had been shattered almost completely, and yellow police tape circled the door. Dresden approached the junior officer on-guard, who, after closely examining his I.D, allowed him through.

The bookstore was was in utter tatters; bookshelves were strewn over the floor, their contents scattered haphazardly. The desk to one side had, much like the door, been splintered, fragments flung as far as the back of the store.

In the middle of the carnage stood Karrin Murphy. She examined the scene with cool blue eyes, staring in particular at one spot in the ground, where white tape traced the shape of a body on a patch of bare floor.

Dresden approached Murphy, eyeing the spot on the floor. "Murph." he greeted. "What's going on?"

Murphy turned her eyes on Dresden, her mouth set in a hard frown. "That's the problem. I was hoping you'd know."

 _Well, that's a first._ Dresden thought. He and Murphy had been working together for years, and they'd seen alot together. They'd fought practically every beastie, baddy, and nastie the Chicago Supernatural Underworld had to offer, and come out on top. If Murphy didn't at least have an idea what they were dealing with, then things were bad.

Dresden glanced around, taking in the scene. Whatever it was, it had been abnormally strong. Both the solid wood door and desk were splinters, and bookshelves that weighed hundreds of pounds were scattered about like a kid with sticks.

Something seemed...odd, about the way everything had broken apart. Like whatever had done it hadn't been swinging, so much as it had thrown its weight into something.

"Do you have any pictures?" Dresden asked, turning to Murphy, who, in response, produced a thick brown folder. Dresden plucked it from from her hands, opening it up and taking out the photos inside.

As soon as he laid eyes on the first one, he felt a feeling of disgust rise in his stomach. The picture showed an elderly asian man, perhaps in his 50's, laying on the ground. His skin was dry and brown, cracking in places where it had stretched too taut over his bones. His hair was whispy and white, barely hanging onto his scalp. White eyes stared out of sunken holes. Boney hips poked out from loose jeans. However, what stuck out most to Dresden was his chest. His ribs were caved in, like somebody had hit him with a slegehammer, and, square in the middle of his chest, was a large, hand-shaped burn mark, charring flesh all the way to the bone.

"Stars and stones…" Dresden whispered. Judging from the pictures alone, he could tell that the man had not died a peaceful death.

Murphy nodded, rubbing her temples. "Yeah. Something about this...doesn't smell right, Dresden."

"Might be the burned flesh." Dresden said. In response, Murphy glared. "Not. Funny."

Dresden threw up his hands. "Sorry. Black humor. Can't be helped."

Murphy continued her for a few more moments, before shaking her head. "Alright. What do you think."

"I dunno." Dresden responded. "But something about this, for some reason, doesn't scream You-Know-Who's to me. Doesn't smell nearly fishy enough."

"So what is it?"

Dresden thought a moment, before shrugging his shoulders. "I, honestly, don't know. But whatever it is, can't be good".

...

A/N-So, that's that. This chapter was low quality, and I'm sorry for that, but I'm having difficulty getting the ball rolling.

So, on a completely unrelated note, here's a little snippet/omake that just wouldn't leave my head, after another forum member gave me the idea. As always, please leave any suggestions or notes you want to make under the reviews!

...

…..

You know, in my time, I've seen a lot of things.

Being a Wizard, of course, can do that to you: as an "Insider" to the paranormal underground of the world, you see things that normal never even think exist. Everything from zombies, to vampires. Dragons, demons, skinwalkers, and much more besides your more standard gribblies, like goblins and the occasional ghoul.

But honestly, nothing, absolutely _nothing,_ could have prepared me for the roller-coaster of a day I was about to have.

It all started in my apartment: I had just completed a separate, unrelated case involving some rich woman losing her keys halfway across the city. I was tired, and, like the genre-savvy guy I am, decided to catch some z's. Because, knowing my life, I wouldn't have much more time to relax. Yang and Ruby, the two teens I've been taking care of the past few days, had gone out for a night on the town, meaning I had the entire place to myself, without their constant chatter or loud snoring.

And I know what you're thinking: no, they're not defenseless teens going out into the bad part of a bad town. In fact, I'm pretty sure either of them can kick my ass six ways to Sunday.

I had barely fallen into my bed, in my tiny apartment, when my phone rang. I groaned and hauled myself to my feet, grumbling curses unbecoming of a wizard under my breath. I shuffled out of my bedroom, to the old telephone on my far wall. The thing was ancient, an old holdover from WWII, with an actual speaker and receiver connected by a chord into a thick wooden box in the wall. It was one of the few pieces of "technology" that I owned, and the closest thing to reliable communication I had.

I picked up the heavy iron receiver, which allowed the speaker to come on. "Dresden here." I answered.

From inside the static-filled receiver came the voice of Lieutenant Karrin Murphey. "Dresden, I need you. Now." She said sternly, her tone uncompromising.

 _Always the one on top._ I thought, chuckling slightly at my own joke. "What for, Murph?" I asked, unsure what she was talking about.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Dresden." She said. "This time's weird, even for your standards, I think." She said. "Trust me on this one. Can you come or not?"

I thought about her words for a moment, mulling it over in my head. On the one hand, Karrin was not the kind of person to over-blow a threat. She and I have worked on many cases before, and always, she was one of the last people to lose her cool, or to panic and blow something completely out of proportion. Naturally, this meant that, whatever she was talking about, was something that she was relatively sure I could take her at her word.

On the other hand, Chicago PD wasn't exactly knowledgeable of supernatural matters. Oh, sure, they might have created 'Special Investigations' for things that were deemed too 'foreign' or 'outlandish' for normal police to handle, but everybody knew that it was a mock job at best. In reality, Special Investigations was where they sent cases that were too important to ignore, but too big to give to other departments. Jobs that nobody with a lick of sanity would take. Jobs that would hurt the rep of any department that made an honest-to-goodness attempt at it.

Despite being the laughingstock, however, Chicago PD did it's damndest to protect Chicago, and did more than any other departments normally did.

And that is why, despite my better judgement and my tired, itchy eyes begging for sleep, I decided to go and have a look at what they had.

"Sure." I responded. "give me a few minutes and I'll be down there."

"Great. The address is 3671 South Street. If you're following the map right, it should take you no time to get here."

She hung up, her voice being replaced by the steady static of the phone.

I sighed and hung up the receiver, rubbing my eyes and, grabbing my staff and coat from the hooks where they hung by my door.

I stepped out the door to my apartment complex, drawing my coat tighter around the frigid October air. This far north, Winter comes early and hits hard, and the frigid air bit my exposed face and ears.

Grumbling, I fumbled my car keys from one pocket, walking over to the Blue Beetle and inserting the key into the lock. The 'Blue Beetle' was what I used to refer to my car, although the 'Blue' part may be a misnomer. In reality, it was several different colors, mostly because of the parts from other scrapped Beetles bolted onto its chassis like mismatched puzzle pieces forced together. The thing was another luxury I owned, although it was old enough to have been Reagan's first car.

I sat down on the seat, shutting the door and turned the car on, twisting the key in the ignition. The old engine sputtered to life, coughing and barely holding together, but still alive, which is better than most cars I owned.

I turned and sped down to Downtown Chicago, to one of the seedier areas of town. Normally, I refrained from going here, for the simple reason of wanting to keep my money in my pocket, but sometimes, I took cases out here, so I was mostly familiar with what I was looking for. The directions were to a popular spot known as 'The Spin'. Don't ask about the name, you honestly don't want to know.

The Spin is a popular spot for techno raves. Glitter and glowsticks everywhere, sex, drugs of all kinds, loose lips and even looser morals. Housed in a 3-story, semi-abandoned brick-and-mortar building, the place was seemingly empty in the day, but at night, became a veritable hurricane of activity, criminal and otherwise.

I honestly hated the place: too much techno music, and too much grinding. The only time I had actually gone there not on business was with my half-brother, Thomas Raith, a White Court vampire who literally fed off of pleasure, or, more specifically, Lust, plenty of which can be found at a rave. To put it bluntly, he can be biased as to what kind of places he frequents.

But while I wished that the place would burn down, I didn't mean _literally._

Chicago police cars were parked outside the building that lead into the spot, red-and-blue lights blaring. Two fire trucks were also parked with them, and firefighters went in-and-out of the smoky remains of the front entrance. Uniformed officers interviewed several half-naked partygoers at their cars, some of whom looked tearfully distressed, others of whom looked like they were currently struggling to figure out why the blue ducks in space ships were trying to abduct them with their giant tentacle arms.

I got out of the Beetle, turning and whistling at the damage. A lot of it looked burned out, and damage underscored a lot of its exterior. Smoke drifted out the windows, and several were shattered.

Standing outside of the entrance was Lieutenant Karrin Murphy herself. A tiny woman, five-foot nothing and less than one hundred and fifty pounds soaking wet, the veteran cop nonetheless packed a powerful punch. Her tiny body was chorded with taut muscle from years of martial arts training in beating up guys bigger than her, and her short, blonde hair framed hard blue eyes.

She was, no doubt, one of the scariest women I have ever met. And I've met the literal embodiments of Winter and Summer.

As I approached, she turned and saw me, her mouth setting into an implacable line. She strode up quickly, offering me her hand, which I shook.

"Dresden." She said, her tone neutral. I nodded in return. "What do we got?" I asked.

In response, she turned, gesturing towards the far end of the parking lot. "See for yourself."

I followed her pointed finger, down towards a single lit streetlamp that was, for some reason, the only one still working. Just like in a freaking movie, there was a lone figure casually sitting on a bench under it. Unlike the movies, however, which normally had some shady guy in a dark cloak with a hood on, this scene held something that was so far and away different from something like that, that it was like comparing night and day. The person under the lamp was a woman, with an extremely short, pink skirt and bright blue halter top going slightly above her midriff, leaving her arms and belly exposed. A multi-colored tattoo wound its way down her right bicep like a snake, and her bright red hair was bound into two massive…pom-poms are the closest thing I can compare them two, going from the sides of her head, with two smaller ones under those. Her forehead was covered by bangs with blue highlights, and her bright green eyes seemed to hold within' them a shadow of mischief and mild impatience.

I walked over to her, and the closer I got, the more I could notice: her skirt was held up by a white belt with a smiley faced buckle, and pads covered her forearms and shins, complementing the pink roller skates on her feet. A white choker wrapped around her neck, with a golden cat bell in the front. Two buttons, purple and green, were pinned to her top, with another smiley face and a heart on them, respectively.

One of the most striking things about her was the way she seemed to…. glow. It wasn't just the fluorescent hair dye or wristbands, either. This was something entirely different, although I couldn't place my finger on it.

She looked up as I approached, smiling a predatory, almost cat-like smile. "Hey!" she chirped.

I nodded at her, frowning. "Hello. What's your name, ma'am?" I said, trying to gauge what she acted like. In a rave, drugs can really mess people up, and these people can go from 1 to 100 on the Violence Scale really quick, especially around cops, so one had to be constantly on his guard.

Despite this, however, she seemed calm and not remotely violent. "Ma'am?" she said, frowning. "I'm no ma'am. My name is Neon. Neon Katt."

 _What kind of parents would give their kid a name like that?_ I asked myself, shaking my head. What the world is coming to, I don't know.

"Okay, Ms. Katt…"

"Neon."

"Ms. Neon."

Neon was already shaking her head, causing her pom-poms to flail about, the bell on her neck giving a ring. "No. My name is Neon. Just call me Neon. Or Katt, if you prefer. Flynt calls me that, sometimes. Only when he's annoyed though, and that doesn't happen often. It really only happens when I mess with his trumpet, which when I think about, is kinda often. Not my fault though, 'cause it makes such a pretty noise when dropped from the balcony of our room, or off a table, or anything really. He says not to do it though, because apparently his trumpet has Dust in it, which I think is stupid, because my glowsticks have Dust and they don't explode…"

She said all of this in a rapid-fire blur, each word melding into the next. The more she talked, the faster she went. I held up my hand, taken slightly aback. It kinda reminded me of a train; starting slow, but going faster and faster.

"Whoa whoa, Neon, slow down…"

"Hey, you used my name right!"

"I just want to ask you a few questions." I finished, sighing. "So, do you know what happened here?" I asked.

Neon seemed to sit there a moment, rolling her eyes up and giving a little hum. "Hmmm…yep. I do!" she said eventually, smiling.

"Okay. Progress…" I murmured. "Next, do you…"

"Where's your hat?" Neon interrupted, frowning at me again.

I halted a moment, glancing up. "My…. hat? I don't have a hat."

"Yes you do." She responded. "You have a duster, like in all those old films! You need a hat to really complete your image!"

For the first time in a long while, I was legitimately confused. I don't have a hat. I never have.

Why does everybody keep saying I have a hat?

"Plus, you need it to cover up your bald spot!" Neon interrupted my thoughts, giving me a languid, lazy smile.

Instinctively, my hand went to my head, searching for the offending spot. In response, Neon giggled, stretching out. "Made ya look!" she said. "Aw, man, the look on your face!"

I stared at her a moment, and felt myself starting to develop a headache. _So this is what it's like to be a dad._ I thought, shaking my head and rubbing my temples. _Glad I'm never going to have to go through that mess._

Neon seemed to notice something, and she abruptly stood up, stretching. As she did, I noticed a long, pink line stretching from behind her. At first, I thought it was just a part of her skirt, but upon closer inspection (for completely legitimate reasons, I swear!), it seemed that it moved completely independently of her body movement, swishing side-to-side… like a cat.

She was a cat.

She was a raving party cat person. An _annoying_ raving party cat person.

Before I could bring up anything, however, she simply turned 90 degrees to her right, and moved faster than even my eyes could track. She shot away, and behind her was a trail of, and I shit you not, _rainbows,_ following her like a constant 'I AM HERE' marker.

I stared after her for a moment, then looked back at the building, wondering if I hadn't accidentally inhaled some of the fumes, when a gust of wind rushed past, and, looking back to the bench, there was Neon, her hair slightly ruffled, holding in her hands a strange light red concoction in a martini glass, a little umbrella sticking out of the top.

I stared, dumbfounded, as she sipped the liquid out of a small straw. After a few seconds, she let go, smiling…before her face contorted in pain. She threw the glass behind her, gripping her temples in her hands. "Ouch! Ouchouchouchouchie ow ow ow!"

Like the gentleman I am, I stood up and walked over to her, gripping her shoulder. "Are you okay? Are you h…"

"Brain freeze!" she groaned, shaking her head vigorously from side-to-side.

I think that's the point where my brain fizzled out.

I stood, snapped my notebook closed, and walked away, staring straight ahead. Murphy saw me walking over, and stepped over to me, a concerned look crossing her face. "Hey, Dresden, are you okay?" she asked.

I stopped for a moment, still staring straight ahead, trying to keep my headache causing my head to explode, and said, in as neutral a tone as I could manage, "She's not a threat, Murphy." And with that, I continued walking, seeing Murphy's gaze switch between me and Neon, confused.

I walked over to the Blue Beetle, inserting the key into the door, before stopping. Like some sort of twisted Spider-Sense, my headache suddenly exploded, right before a gust of wind and a hurricane of annoying multicolored drug-fueled crack rainbows appeared in front of me, grinning.

"Hey, do you mind if I crash with you tonight?" Neon asked, forced to look up at me due to my height.

Without even hesitated, I gave her a short, crisp "No." before getting in my car, inserting the key, and powering the Beetle on. Before I could close the door, however, a hand gripped the door, and stopped it from closing. Neon was there again, her hand planted firmly on the door. As much as I tried to close it, she seemed to hold it open effortlessly. The grin was gone from her face, replaced by a frown. "Aww, come on." She moaned. "Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"No!"

"Pretty please with a…."

"Kid, for the last time, no!" I shouted, causing her to recoil from the car. "Now, I try not to make it a habit to take in random street kids I don't know, so beat it!"

With that, I closed the door to the Blue Beetle, and sped away, and, out my rear view mirror, watched her gaze sadly after the car, like an abandoned puppy.

To be honest, even then, I felt kinda guilty for being so harsh. She was probably just a hyper-active kid who decided to go to the wrong kind of party. I contemplated going back to apologize, but decided that it would probably be fruitless.

So, slightly ashamed, I ventured back to my apartment complex, parking across the street like I always did, and turned…

And saw, sitting on the stairs, shivering, Neon Katt, who had, somehow, managed to follow me here.

I approached her, eyes wide, not knowing how, in the seven circles of Hell, she had managed to get here, almost _before_ me.

She looked up at me, her sad green eyes staring up at me pitifully, her bottom lip sticking out slightly, trembling.

"I-it's really c-cold." She said, still staring up at me. "Can I p-please come in?"

Now, call me whatever you want. I hired gun. A monster. An asshole.

But I am _not_ heartless.

I stared back at her a moment, before giving out a sigh and slumping my shoulders. "Okay, fine. You can come in."

She smiled at me, standing up and giving me a hug. "T-thanks!" she said, before stepping back and rubbing her shoulders, stepping back from the door.

I lead her into the hallway, walking down to my door, producing my key and opening the door, gesturing for Neon to go in. She did so, stepping into the warmer room, and I went in after her, shutting the door. I turned around, and discovered that Yang and Ruby were back, both of them sitting on a couch, reading a book together, Ruby cradled into Yang's arm. Yang looked up, nodding at me. "Hey, Dresden." She greeted, before looking next to me, at Neon, frowning. "And…who are you?"

Neon smiled, slowly sliding over to Yang, holding her hand out. "Hey! My name is Neon!" she said, before adding. "You're really pretty!"

Yang shook her hand, staring at Neon. "Ummm…. thanks?"

Neon nodded. "Don't mention it!"

Ruby, meanwhile, simply snoozed away, her chest rising and falling gently.

Neon inspected Yang critically, taking in her body, nodding to herself. "Hmmm…"

"What?"

"Your hair needs improvement."

Yang's eyes narrowed, and she glared at Neon. "Really? How?"

Neon shook her head. "Well… do you even brush it?"

After a few days of living with the duo, I knew what a sensitive subject Yang's hair was. So, before the inevitable shit-storm started, I walked into my room, barely taking off by coat before falling into bed, asleep almost before I hit the pillow.

I woke up the next morning, sitting up and yawning, running a hand through my disheveled hair. I quickly rose and went through my morning habit, brushing my teeth and combing my hair. I went out into the common area, and saw, on the couch, one of the most heart-warming scenes I have ever seen.

Yang, Neon, and Ruby were all sitting on the couch, soundly sleeping. Yang was in the middle, between both girls, her long, muscular arms wrapped around both of the figures next to her. Ruby was on her right, her feet drawn close, and her head snuggled into Yang's bosom. Her fuzzy pajamas providing extra warmth, which combined with Yang's body heat to make quite a comfortable sleeping place. On Yang's left, meanwhile, was Neon, wearing a shirt that seemed to have been borrowed from Yang, as it was several sizes too large for her. Her pads and skates lay in a neatly folded bundle at the foot of the couch. Neon hugged Yang's hip, and had lain her head down on her hip, her tail wrapped loosely around Yang's wrist.

You know, it's times like this where I really wish I had a camera.

I stepped around them into the kitchen, and as quietly as I could begin to make breakfast, for the four of us.

"I wonder if I can get benefits…" I murmured, cracking eggs into the bowl.


	5. Chapter 5: Jaded and Lessons Learned

Dresden got back into the Blue Beetle, speeding off towards downtown Chicago, deep in thought.

Whatever this was, it was something that he hadn't really seen before. Hand-shaped burns on chests, people reduced to husks in hours, strength to throw around loaded book cases like they were nothing? Dresden had seen all of those things alone, but all of them in the same attack, and maybe a pair of them at a time, but all three? Normally, he'd chalk this up to something that just happened, as it does often in Chicago. A baddie comes in, kills somebody, and then goes to ground, leaving everybody else none the wiser. Things like that come with the territory.

But some things were wrong with this case that just didn't add up. First, these kinds of things usually leave so much evidence. The entire _point_ of the Game was for monsters to stay hidden while doing what they do. So why, in the nine circles of Hell, would this thing just come in, wreck an entire shop, and, worst of all, leave a body behind?

Second, the corpse. While he hadn't examined it himself, Dresden knew well the pictures, and the photographer had been careful to record every detail, from the desiccated skin and bones to the caved, burned chest. The former was typical of a Red Court vampire, but the latter was something they never did, seeing as they hate fire with a burning passion.

"Heh. Burning _"._ Dresden chuckled to himself, mentally kicking himself for his immaturity.

He continued thinking as he drove, trying to find a solution, without coming up with one. He came in front of his apartment, stepping out and slamming the Beetle's door shut, and walking to his apartment. Dresden inserted the key, swinging the massive reinforced steel door, a gift from his friend Michael Carpenter, and closing it behind him. When he turned around, he noticed that both Ruby and Yang were not in the room, which worried him. If they got lost in Chicago, there wasn't much he could do for them. And Chicago wasn't exactly a nice city.

 _Don't tell me you're getting sentimental, Dresden._ He thought to himself, shaking his head and getting his mind back on-track. Dresden strode over to the nearby carpet, drawing it back and revealing the entrance to the sub-basement, where his lab was.

He lifted up the door and slid the ladder down, stepping carefully down it, into the crowded lab. On a shelf nearby, Bob the Skull of Knowledge was sitting there, happily reading several different editions of Playboy magazine.

"Bob." Dresden barked, snapping the spirit out of its stupor. The glowing orange flames of its eyes flickered over to Dresden, casting a glow around the spirit.

"Hey, Dresden." He greeted, the eyes flashing. "What do you need me for, this time? 'Cause I'm… kinda busy here."

In response, Dresden reached into his coat, drawing the folder Murphey had given him and laying it down in front of Bob. He reached into it, drawing each of the pictures out in turn, laying them side-by-side.

"I need to know what the hell I'm dealing with." Dresden said, pointing to the pictures. "Because I've thought about it, and come up with nothing."

Bob's eyes flickered downward, scanning over the pictures briefly, a low _hum_ radiating out from somewhere inside the rune-covered, ornamental skull. Dresden waited, tapping his foot as the skull examined the pictures.

"Well?"

Bob's eyes looked back up, sunk slightly into their skulls. "Well, I got good news and I've got bad news, Dresden." The skull confessed. "Which one would you like to hear first?"

Dresden sighed, shaking his head. Somehow, he knew this wasn't going to be easy. "Start with the good news, then. Might as well, before you crush all my hopes of this thing _not_ getting blown way out of proportion." He grumbled, leaning back on the counter. "So, shoot."

Bob floated up, and gave a muffled cough, as though he was preparing for a long speech. "So, I looked over the evidence you have, compared it with my data-banks, cross referenced my sources, and, to make a long story short, I think I got what you're dealing with."

Harry grunted, nodding his head. "So, that means you know how to find it, stop it, kill it, that sort of thing, right?"

"That's the bad news." Bob said. "Harry, have you ever heard of a _jiangshi_?"

Dresden shook his head. "Not a clue. Wanna enlighten me?"

"Well, you know the Vampire Courts, right? Red, White, and Black."

"I have a passing acquaintance with them." Harry said dryly. "Considering every single one of them tried to… you know. Kill me, at several points in time, with varying degrees of failure."

Bob scoffed at this, rolling his flame-eyes. "Smartass. Anyway, few people know that there's actually a fourth major-league Vampire Court, called, appropriately enough when you consider their base of operation, the Jade Court."

"The 'Jade Court'?" Harry interrupted. "Let me guess; they're from China."

"Bing-o." Bob affirmed. "Chinese vampires, or _jiangshi._ Translates roughly to 'stiff corpse' for what should be pretty obvious reasons. They like to hop places, because bending your legs is pretty difficult when your muscles lock up after you die."

Harry was writing all this information down on his notepad, nodding. "So, what makes these guys special? Any magical powers, mind control, demon summoning, or any of the other usual things vampires like to do?"

Bob seemed to consider a moment, before shaking his head. "Well, there's two things that separate them from the other Courts: one, they're freakishly strong, even by Vampire standards. One hit from them, and _bam,_ your bones are dust, your car is totaled, or, in this case, your ribcage is shattered and your bookshelves are kindling."

"And the second thing?"

Bob visibly shifted uncomfortably, an impressive feat for what was essentially a disembodied spirit of Knowledge living inside an inanimate skull.

"Well, the second thing is their food source." He said. "Red Court feed off of blood, as does the Black Court. White feeds off of emotion, Lust being a prominent one. But the Jade Court feeds off of _qi._ "

" _qi_?"

" _Qi, chi, ki,_ whatever you call it, all words for the same thing. Life-energy." Bob continued. "The life essence that comes from all living things. And these guys feed off of it."

"Damn." Harry said. "That why they're so strong?"

"That's part of it. But there's more. This energy is present in everything, meaning it's the most plentiful source of energy in the world. The Jade Court has a monopoly on the stuff in just about all of Asia, from China to India. Even the other Courts don't mess with Jade because of it. Last time they came to blows, both White and Red got their asses handed them on a silver platter. Pun not intended."

Dresden nodded, writing all of this information down. "So, you're telling me that we're dealing with a super-strong life-eating vampire from Asia."

"Don't forget any minions he has." Bob added. "Remember, vampires almost never travel alone."

"Right. Do they have any weaknesses?"

"A few." Bob said, although his tone implied that these were not what Dresden hoped they would be. "They're stiff just about everywhere, meaning that, if you're quick enough, you can avoid their attacks. Other than that, the usual fair works best: fire, mirrors, certain kinds of wood, cherry in particular. Ringing bells, the black donkeys, and a lot of bullets usually put them down best."

"Black donkeys?" Dresden asked, arching an eyebrow. "That works?"

The spirit seemed to shrug dismissively, although it lacked shoulders. "Don't ask me. The ancient Chinese were pretty specific about this kind of stuff, and even I don't know why."

Dresden nodded, writing the details in his notebook, thinking quietly to himself. They were mostly standard, as far as vampires went. Immediately, he began thinking about how to combat them, tapping his pencil against his book. If these things were half as strong as Bob said they were, then stacking the deck in his favor was the only way he was going to take one down. He made a mental note to himself to go buy some cherry wood and bells.

At the same time, he reviewed his notes, checking over for anything he could've missed.

"Thanks, Bob." Dresden said, putting the book into his coat pocket. "I'll put this to good use."

"Yeah, yeah." Bob drawled, turning back to his porn magazines. "Just don't let them touch you, and you'll be fine."

Dresden rolled his eyes, turning away from the skull. "Yeah, I never could've guessed, Sherlock."

He finished his turn, and froze as he saw a familiar goth in a red cape peering curiously around his workshop.

"Woah." Ruby whispered, looking around her and taking in the cramped laboratory. "This place kinda reminds me of Signal's workshop." She said, peering closely at some of the various materials lining the shelves of the workshop, many of which seemed exotic. One container was filled with what looked to be dark flakes of some sort. Another was filled with white granules of salt. On her left was a metal box, labeled with a hazard symbol, like those she saw at Dust mines. Another jar was filled with a strange green-red liquid.

"Ahem."

Ruby looked to her left, finding Dresden gazing down at her, frowning, his booted foot tapping against the floor.

"Oh…" she said, stepping back. However, she was mostly unfazed, and quickly regained her posture and flashing Dresden a grin. "Hi!"

Dresden stared down at her, arching an eyebrow. "Who told you that you were allowed in my lab, kid?"

Ruby shuffled her feet, laughing nervously. "Well, uh… see, the hatch was open, so I just decided to come down, and see what was down here."

"Hasn't anybody told you how curiosity killed the cat?"

"Well, I figured that, if you were down here, it was probably safe. And that you wouldn't do dangerous things in your apartment."

Dresden snorted, shaking his head. "Kid, just because I'm somewhere doesn't mean it's safe. In fact, that's the opposite of what being around me is like."

"Hey, I'm a Huntress-in-training! I can protect myself!" Ruby proudly boasted, placing her hands on her hips, widening her stance and turning up her chin, like she had seen many heroes in the comics she had borrowed from Jaune do.

Dresden stared at her for a moment, both bushy eyebrows raised as high as they could go. There was a silence between them, and the only sound being the wind battering the windows above and the ruffle of Bob turning a new page on his book. Then, Dresden started chuckling. His shoulders shook, and he tried, and failed, to smother the laugh with his hand, before bursting into a full-bellied guffaw.

Ruby glared at him as he continued laughing. "What's so funny?" she demanded, as Dresden's sides finally stopped heaving, using one finger to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Oh, that's funny." He snickered. He ruffled Ruby's hair, a grin plastered over his face. "Kid, there's a lot of things you can't protect yourself from. Trust me, I know."

"Like what?" Ruby asked, indignation transforming into curiosity.

"Ghosts, spirits, the occasional Fae, and a whole lot of nasties, Ruby. You ever see an ogre?"

"Only in my dad's storybooks."

"Big, hulking monstrosities, about this big." Dresden raised his hand as far above his head as he could. "And they're strong enough to throw cars like toys."

Ruby nodded, listening closely. "So, how do you fight it?"

In response, Dresden took two jars from a nearby shelf, exactly the ones she had seen before, showing them to her. "Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't go around looking for fights. Doing that is a good way to get on a lot of people's bad sides. But, if push comes to shove, and you're fighting something magical, these two things are your best bet."

Ruby took the jars from them, uncorking them and peering inside. The one filled with black shavings smelled faintly like copper, and glinted slightly in the light. The other, as she suspected, was filled with salt.

"Cold Iron and salt." Dresden affirmed. "Iron hurts most supernatural creatures like it's acid. Salt, meanwhile, drains their power. Combine the two, and you have a potent weapon on your hands."

"Really?" Ruby asked. "That's… weird, but kinda cool."

Dresden stepped forward and snapped the lids back onto the containers, hefting them back on the shelf. "But enough about that. You're not going to be fighting any monsters under my watch. Those things are bad news, so when I say to stay away, Ruby, I mean _stay away._ "

Ruby frowned up at Dresden, disappointment visible in her eyes. Despite that, however, she nodded her understanding. "Yeah."

"Good." Dresden tersely replied.

The two of them traveled back up the ladder, shutting the sub-basement behind them. Dresden dragged the covers back into place. He plopped on the couch and began reading a history book freshly pulled from one of the nearby bookshelves, flipping through it until he got to the section labeled 'The Qin Dynasty'. He was halfway through the first page before he noticed something was missing.

"Where's Yang?" he asked, taking a sip from a nearby glass of water. Ruby, who was in the nearby kitchen eating some store-bought Oreos, waved her hand dismissively. "We needed money, so Yang said she'd be going to do a couple quickies to get some."

It took a few seconds for Dresden to fully process the implications of the words, and when he did, he sucked in a sudden breath, sending the water he was drinking hurtling down his windpipe. He coughed and sputtered, leaning forward.

"What?!" he shouted, after the water had been cleared from his throat. He spun to Ruby, who looked genuinely confused by his sudden outburst. "You know, a quickie? A quick job to get some cash. Like sweeping floors or something."

Dresden stared dumbfounded at the innocent teenager, before slumping back down into his loveseat. "Oh thank God." He murmured, wiping his forehead.

"What did you think I meant?"

" _Nothing._ "

….

Ji Hong watched the streets of Chicago closely, his eyes missing nothing. He saw the golden-haired one sashaying her way down one of the main thoroughfares, her clothing and…. _Features_ easily recognizable. She occasionally talked to strangers on the street, who usually tried to act as politely as possible, while others made lewd or otherwise obscene comments on her attire.

Hong felt the pang of hunger deep inside him, and longed to sink his hands into the girl, to feed off of her energy, which he could practically taste, even from this distance. But the Master would have his head if he so much as grazed her without his permission.

So he simply watched, for now, as the girl stopped in front of an old book shop, glancing at the sign hanging on the door, which read 'Help Wanted' for a moment, before walking inside.

Hong waited a few moments, making sure she wasn't coming back out, before turning around, reluctantly limping away from the street, deeper into the heart of Chicago, one foot dragging along the ground, the other stiffly swinging ahead.

Alleyways twisted and wound around and around, slowly becoming more and more convoluted, resembling more a maze than much else. Eventually, he came to one ancient building, two green neon signs the only lights emanating from it.

He approached the front door, slowly easing it open. The interior lead to a long hallway, at the end of which was a single door, guarded by two men in dark suits, blades hanging from their hips and assault rifles in their hands.

He approached the guards, murmuring the password under his breath. The guards, their faces devoid of emotion, walked forward, quickly frisking him for weapons, before stepping back and allowing him to proceed, opening the thick door, the hinges creaking with rust from years of disuse.

He continued forward, into what appeared to be a large antechamber, illuminated by a single light. The floor was carved into intricate runes, and two sets of stairs led up into a shrouded alcove above it. In the middle of all the runes was a single chair, stained with suspicious brown spots.

Hong walked forward, cursing his stiff old bones, taking a seat in the chair, joints popping and cracking. A few seconds passed, and then a quiet voice emerged, clear despite being rasped, and rather than coming from any singular location, seemed to come from _inside_ his head.

"Ji Hong, old friend." The voice greeted. The curtains of the alcove were drawn back, revealing an old, withered man, with wispy white hair hanging loosely from his palette, which was generously covered in liver spots. An old, black suit hung loosely around his near-skeletal frame, but despite this, bright green eyes, almost luminescent in the dark, peered out from his skull, still alight with a flame of cunning and intelligence. "What have you learned?"

Ji Hong licked his lips, beginning to speak in a nervous tone. "My lord, it is exactly as you said. The gold one is alone now, isolated from the wizard."

The old man seemed to hum, clasping his hands together. "Good." He rasped. "Good. Then we are on schedule. You may leave now, Hong."

Hong stared, dumbfounded, at the old man. "My lord, why do we wait? Why not strike now, while she is alone?"

"Because the time is not right, Hong." He replied. "We have yet several more steps to take, measures to complete." Then, like a recording played back, he said, calmly, "You may leave now, Hong."

"My lord, I must respectfully disagree. The longer we wait, the smaller our window gets! We must strike, before she can escape."

"She will not escape." The elder replied calmly. "I have made sure of that."

"But…"

"You try my patience, Hong. Thrice said and done. You. May. Leave."

Hong gritted his teeth, standing up and giving a stiff bow, backing out of the room.

The old man waited until he was long gone, before standing up, leaning on a long cane and hobbling away, deeper into the shadowed sanctum, his eyes gleaming into the dark.

"Soon." He whispered, a wolf-like grin showing black teeth, darker than the cloudy midnight sky.


	6. Faerie Odd Lessons

The bell gave a soft ring as Yang shut the door, thanking the store owner. She turned, holding up the fruit of her two and a half hours' worth of effort: a small wad of crisp, green pieces of paper, delicate and thin, unlike the Lien chips she was used to: a sum of about thirty 'dollars'.

She turned down the dark street, guided by the lights of the streetlamps, heading back towards Dresden's house.

As she went, she marveled at how strikingly different this world was from her own. The buildings were made out of simple brick and mortar, rather than the more modern materials she was used to, giving them a darker color than the buildings of Vale. The street-signs were painted scraps of metal rather than holograms that could be changed to display messages. Everything seemed so…different.

And, floating above her, partially obscured by clouds and mist, was the most acute reminder of exactly how far away Yang was. Yang glanced up, and saw the moon, it's silver light bathing the entire city, and realized that, whatever happened, she wasn't in the Remnant she knew anymore. A whole moon shone, not the shattered one that she knew so well.

Blake, Weiss, Qrow, her father, they were all nowhere for her to find, talk to, or _anything._

Yang sighed, shaking herself out of her moping.

 _At least I have Ruby._ Yang thought, smiling faintly. _That's something, right?_

Yang came to the main street, turning the corner, stopping. She had come to the front of a small shop, a neon sign sitting above the doorway, which read 'Dairy Queen'. After a moment of consideration, she went in, letting the door ease shut behind her.

The inside was immaculately clean, with polished tile floor and wood tables. The walls were painted white with red stripes, and various different paintings of ice cream.

At the counter was a teenager, with a face just beginning to grow into his new body. He looked up as Yang entered, his eyes dull, chin resting in his hand.

"Welcome to Dairy Queen." He droned. "How can I…"

He stopped when he saw Yang, jaw literally dropping.

"C-can I help you, ma'am…miss?"

Yang walked up to the counter, nodding as she read the menu. "Yeah. I would like three chocolate milkshakes to go, please."

"Sure thing." The worker said, eyes downcast.

Yang raised a slender eyebrow. "My eyes are up here."

The worker scrambled back, cheeks heating red. "Oh, sorry! Right away!"

….

Ruby was sitting on the couch, dressed in her pink-and-black pajamas. The fireplace was lit, warming the room and giving out a warm orange light. Mouse was on the couch with her, draped across her legs like a furry blanket, along with the cat she'd recently met, who appeared to live here.

After Dresden had left, citing "business" Ruby had grown bored relatively quickly, and in need of something to occupy her time until Yang returned, she had begun searching the small apartment for something to do. She ruled out rooting through Dresden's lab, because it would be rude of her to do without him here. She'd played with Mouse and the cat a bit, but there was only so much to do with a dog that took up enough space to fill a full fifth of the room they were in. Finally, she'd turned to the bookshelf nestled neatly in the corner of the small apartment, removing one of the old, dusty leather tomes on it. She opened it slowly, looking inside the cover at the words written within'.

"Vulgares Aequo et Verba Potentia." She murmured, reading the title, albeit with great difficulty. "What's that mean?"

She continued skimming the book, but found that the rest of the words were no easier to figure out than the title, all written in a language that made absolutely no sense, nor had any rhyme or rhythm.

She set the book aside, determined to ask Dresden about it later, and picked another one off of the shelf. This one, 'Magus' Libro Beastia' had a strange title as well, but all the rest of the words in the book seemed to be written in proper Valish, so she picked this one to read.

Ruby read through the book a bit, flipping pages. Each page seemed to be packed with information about strange-looking creatures, some of which resembled the Grimm she knew of, others which could not be more different.

One entry she found was 'Ghosts and Vengeful Spirits'. Her dad, Taiyang, always said that ghosts were not real, and that no monsters were under her bed, but in this world ghosts seemed to be a very real thing.

"Cannot be harmed through physical means. Can only be confronted with certain rituals and preparation, except on New Hallow's Eve, or by beings that also exist in the immaterial." She read, frowning.

That is when Yang came in, carrying their three milkshakes. "Ruby, I'm back!" she called, shutting the door.

Ruby sat up, her legs still pinned down by Mouse. "Welcome back." She greeted. "What'd you get?"

"Milkshakes." Yang responded, setting a cup in front of Ruby. "One for you, one for me, and one for Dresden. I thought we should pay him back for, ya know. Feeding us."

Ruby hummed her agreement, taking the milkshake and taking a sip out of the straw, eyes still locked on the book.

Yang leaned over, peering over her sister's shoulder. "What're you reading, sis?" she asked.

Ruby turned and picked the book up. "This is something I got off of Dresden's shelf." She admitted. "I got bored, and started reading. It's actually kinda cool."

Yang reached over Ruby and flipped a few of the pages. "Minotaur's? Spirits? Demon monkeys? Weird."

Ruby nodded. "Makes you wonder, what else is out there."

"Maybe Dresden can show us around a bit more." Yang suggested. "Who knows, maybe by now he's found a way for us to get back home."

"Yeah." Ruby sighed halfheartedly. "Yeah…"

"And we're not alone." Yang reminded her sister. "We've got Dresden, Mouse, the cat…"

The cat gave an insistent meow, leaping on Ruby's lap.

She smiled and pet the cat, stroking its soft fur, listening to it purr, content in simply being pet.

"I wonder how Blake and Weiss are doing." Ruby wondered, stroking the cat's ears.

The handle to the door turned, and it swung open, revealing the tall, lanky form of Dresden, his staff in his left hand, garbed in his old trench coat. He took two heavy steps into the apartment, shutting the door behind him and shrugging off his coat in a single practiced motion.

The cat hopped off of Ruby's lap and rant towards Dresden, throwing its weight into his legs. Dresden was forced to took a small step back, before bending down and rubbing it on the ears.

"Hey, Mister." Dresden said. "Got any mice today?"

The cat yawned and walked away, back towards the couch. Dresden stood straight, walking over to the duo, leaning on the couch.

"How'd everything go?" Ruby asked. "You find anything out?"

"Some." Dresden replied. "I've narrowed down about the area in the Never you might have come from."

Both the teens jerked upright. "What are we waiting for, then?!" Yang asked. "Let's go!"

"Easy there, firecracker." Dresden said, grimacing. "Narrowed down' doesn't mean much in the Never. We could search for years and we'd never find it."

"Oh." Yang said, crestfallen. "So what do we do?"

"Well." Dresden replied, slicking back his hair. "Option 1, we find out what brought you here. Neither of you know how to travel through Ways, which means you must have been brought here against your will."

"Option 2," he continued. "You both stay here. That, I would guess, is not something you want to do."

"It is definitely _not."_ Yang growled.

Dresden nodded. "Thought so. Thus, our only option is to keep searching for clues."

"Where do we do that?"

"No clue. But I'll think of something."

Ruby listened to their conversation, humming. There was…something, scratching at the back of her mind, hovering just at the edge of her subconscious, but she couldn't place it.

Before she could dwell any more on this, however, Dresden stood up, stretching, before looking down at the girls. "Whelp." he said. "I'm tired, so I'm going to hit the sack in a bit. But I need to do a bit of research first, so you guys can have the bed tonight."

 _Research? Oh, right!_

"Hey, Dresden?" Ruby asked, reaching over. "I was thinking,"

"Always a dangerous past-time." Dresden muttered, too low for Ruby to hear.

"What's this book about?" Ruby finished, showing him the book written in outlandish script.

Dresden frowned, taking the book in his hand, clicking his tongue as his read the title.

"Ah, this one. It's called 'On Fair Folk and Words of Power'. It's written in Latin, hence why you can't read it."

"Fair Folk? You mean, like elves?" Ruby asked. "Like the ones who live in the forests, like in dad's fairy tales?"

"Kinda like that, yeah." Dresden said. "But elves are just one type of Fair Folk, or Faerie. Faerie with an 'ie' by the way. Carries a different meaning."

Ruby nodded. "So, they're real?"

"Depends on what you mean by "real". Do they exist? Yes. Do they act like they do in _Lord of the Rings?_ No."

Ruby didn't even know what _Lord of the Rings_ was, but she decided to pretend like she did.

"So, what are they like, then?" she asked. "I mean, in the fairy tales, they were wither nice and helped people, or they kidnapped little kids and…well, boiled them into stew."

"They can do either of those things, depending on their mood." Dresden said, shaking his head. "They're fickle like that. Fae don't really think the same way we do."

"In the books, they were always tricking people into doing things for them." Ruby said, leaning closer, silver eyes wide. "Do they do things like that for real?"

Dresden frowned. He stood up, walking over to his bookshelf, putting the tome back in its place, before turning around, staring Ruby and Yang in the eyes, each in turn.

"Ruby, remember what I said, when we talked in the lab? About how you don't engage Fae unless you need to?"

"Yeah?"

"And Yang." Dresden continued, turning to her. "Remember when we found Ruby? That portal I opened, and the ogre?"

"Yeah, I remember." Yang said. "Why do you ask?"

"Faeries are a varied group." He said. "You two were lucky to not have met any of the smarter ones. That's the real dangerous thing about Faeries: they're smart. Many of them have been dealing with humans for centuries, and know us inside 'n out. And if you piss one of them off, they'll wait _years_ to get revenge. And they're not afraid to utterly destroy you."

"Can they be beaten?" Ruby asked. "You talked to me about cold iron and salt before. Will that work?"

"Against the weaker ones, yes." Dresden said. "But, again, only as a last resort. Fae hate iron and salt. If you use it against one of them, the rest will look at you as a threat, and act appropriately."

"Can they be beaten?" Yang said, absently touching Ember Celica, resting in its condensed form on her arm.

"Again, yes, the weaker ones. But they're not the ones you have to worry about."

Dresden took another book from his shelf, this one labeled in Valish: "Of the Queens of Winter and Summer". He set the book before Ruby and Yang, flipping through until he found the page he wanted. Displayed there, drawn as though by an ancient artist, was a woman. She was tall and thin, her skin the same pale color as snow, matched by her hair. Her lips were a pale blue, and the dress she wore looked as though it was woven out of snow flakes, light and shimmering in the light. But it was her eyes that seemed most unusual, both to Yang and Ruby: one was simply green, but more vibrant than any shade could possibly be, seeming to radiate a light all on its own. The other was silver, like Ruby's own, but more metallic, like her eye was a disk of aluminum. Both seemed to be colder and more piercing than art should be able to be.

"That is one of the ones you should be afraid of." Dresden said, quietly. "And I hope you never have to see her, for your sake."

Ruby leaned over, every bit as engrossed as her sister. "The Queen of Winter". She muttered. She gazed at the picture, not able to tear herself away from her eyes. And the longer she looked…the more it looked like the picture was staring _back_ at her.

"Mab." Dresden said. "Queen of Air and Darkness, Mistress of Cold, and one icy bi...lady." Dresden corrected. "She's older than you by several hundred millennia, although you can't tell by looking at her. Her bread and butter is enticing mortals with half-truths and promises, before stabbing them in the back. And, if push comes to shove, she's no slouch."

"So say we do have to fight her." Yang said. "What do we do?"

"First of all, you'll never have to fight her. Mab doesn't do things like that unless you insult her in front of her Court." Dresden said. "Second…Run."

"So we can't out-fight her, so what do we do?"

"We use our wits." Ruby interrupted. She finally tore her gaze away from the Queen's eyes, looking between Dresden and Yang. "That's what you're trying to say, right? Fight with our minds, not our fists?"

Dresden snapped his fingers. "Bingo. Fae are smart, but they're also arrogant. Or they over-complicate things. Stay on your feet, use your wits, and you can beat them. Or, at least, survive. It's like a game of chess."

Yang nodded. "Or like a boxing match: it's not about how hard you hit them, but where."

"You kids learn quick." Dresden commended them. "Of course, if we do happen to meet a Sidhe, you should probably let me do the talking. I've been doing this a lot longer than you two."

"One more thing." He added. "Names."

"What about them?" Yang asked.

"Don't give them out to anybody." Dresden said. "Only your first and last."

"What do you mean?"

"Everybody has four Names." Dresden said. "Normally given to you by your parents. If not, then it's usually defaulted to a nickname, or a title. My name is Harry Dresden, but I have two more names that I don't tell anybody. Do you know why?"

Yang shook her head, but Ruby's mind flashed back to before she had met Dresden and found Yang. To the old man, who stared at her, and his cryptic prophecy.

"Names have power." She murmured, and Dresden glanced at her, surprised.

"Yes." He said. "If somebody knows all of your Names, they can make you do almost anything they want you to. Including things that you normally don't want to do."

"Think about it this way. When you call a friend's name from across the room, what do they do?"

"They look at you." Yang said.

"Think of it like that, but taken up a few orders of magnitude." Dresden continued. "In short, don't trust anybody with your Names. They can use it against you. Not even me."

"Got it." Yang said, nodding. Ruby, however, was in an entire different place, her eyes unfocused as she delved deep into thought.

"Anything else?"

"Just the usual." Dresden said. "Don't leave hair pieces or fingernails anywhere, be aware of your surroundings, and don't talk to strangers offering candy from white vans. Do all of those things, and you should be fine in your day-to-day."

Dresden spoke to them some more about the finer points of supernatural etiquette: how to properly give respect without being subservient, how to address others, et cetera. After that, Yang and Ruby both stood up and headed to the bedroom, while Dresden crashed on the couch.

Yang was asleep quickly, but Ruby stayed up, her mind running a million miles an hour. She remembered the words of the old man, and realized how true now they seemed, with Dresden's own statements.

 _I sense a path of great darkness ahead of you. Pain. Betrayal. Loss._

 _Don't trust anybody. Not even me._

 _Can I trust Yang?_

Ruby shuddered, contemplating for a moment. It couldn't be true…could it? Yang was her sister. They'd been together since birth. But both the old man and Dresden's words pointed towards them not being all who they seemed.

Was she safe here? Could she even be sure?

 _But what I see need not come to pass._

Ruby thought on it some more, shaking her head. Maybe that was the point. Yang was her _sister._ She'd never do anything to hurt Ruby. And Dresden had given both her and Yang help, in a world they barely knew. He'd both fed them, given them a place to sleep and shower, and was helping them get home, all because they needed help. She could trust him: he hadn't given her a reason not to, after all.

Ruby gave a great yawn, drowsiness coming upon her. She was tired, after the long day. She pushed everything out of her mind, consigning herself to sleep. Darkness came, and she welcomed it, and soon, she was snoring away, snuggling with her older sister's warmth, sharing heat in the cold Chicago winter.

...

Author's Note: Sorry this one took so long to come out, guys! Not trying to pull a GRRM, but there have been certain...events in my life keeping this out of posting. Sorry!


	7. Chapter 7: Ghoulish Guests

Dresden woke early the next morning, getting ready for the next day's investigation. He packed his investigator's tools, including a magnifying glass and several sterile tubes in what had to be one of the most cliché kits ever, as well as his more magic-leaning tools. He swung on his trenchcoat, grabbed his staff, and was out the door just as the sun was beginning to peak up over the horizon.

Due to the hour, the drive through Chicago was relatively quick and short, and Dresden arrived at the warehouse just ahead of the morning rush. He stepped out of the Beetle and looked around, taking in his surroundings. The warehouse looked old, and not as well-maintained as it could have been, with a still-lit neon green sign hanging above the doorway.

Dresden considered his situation carefully, before, with a short burst of effort, sending out a magical pulse, disabling any electronics nearby.

He strode forward, covering the distance between him and the warehouse quickly. The electronic lock had been disabled, and its' safety mechanisms forced it to unlock, luckily enough for Dresden. He opened the door, peering around the corner. Nothing but darkness.

He opened it some more, and cautiously went inside. He reached inside his jacket, grasping the pentagram necklace that he wore there.

"Lux" he said, willing the necklace to life. Cold blue light emanated from it, rebounding off the walls and making everything in the room visible.

The warehouse was cluttered with various effects, from wooden shipping crates to damp cardboard boxes.

Dresden looked around himself, frowning. This didn't exactly look like a vampire lair: it just looked like an old warehouse. There wasn't even the distinct smell that came with blood or rotting corpses.

Dresden looked around one more time, before reaching into his pocket and taking out a magnifying glass.

Sometimes, it _does_ help to be old-fashioned.

He looked over the boxes, looking for any clues. Pieces of hair, blood, a blue paw print, anything even remotely incriminating.

After a while, he settled on the final box, which looked like it had been opened recently. Upon closer inspection, he found a sign, carved into the wood: a rabbit.

Dresden put his magnifying glass back into his pocket, before leaning forward and carefully opening the box.

Inside was a long, green cylinder-like object, with small holes along the top, and a tempered-out front. Conversely, the end was flared and exaggerated. It had no other carvings. To Dresden, it looked almost like a flute, or a recorder they gave to kids in schools.

He reached in, gently grasping the flute, and placing it inside his jacket. He turned around, heading outside. His hand grasped the door handle…

And he was suddenly thrown back, into a pile of boxes, the door splintering.

Dresden was obscured by one of the falling boxes, which had fallen in front of his prone form. Dresden, suppressing a hiss of pain, hauled himself up, whispering the light of his necklace to fade.

He peered over the top of the box, the only light coming from the open door. Standing where he had not five seconds ago, there was another figure. Though it was obscured partially by shadow, Dresden could make out some features: a long, thick jaw with serrated teeth. Patches of green skin, and long talons on the tips of the fingers.

Dresden cursed his luck. A ghoul, a flesh-eating supernatural creature, with obscene strength and a never-ending hunger for human flesh, as well as being resistant to bullets. In a closed environment like this, he could be on Dresden before he could finish a spell. Add in bullet resistance, and the situation got a whole lot worse.

The Ghoul began sniffing around, tracking Dresden by his scent. It began to follow the exact path Dresden had taken around the warehouse, and would soon be on Dresden. He had to think fast, if he wanted to get out of this intact.

He looked around himself, looking for any opportunity. His best bet was to distract it, get out into the open, and then delay it long enough to get to his car. The only question was how he was supposed to _do_ that.

Eventually, he settled on the only thing he could find: a large box, hanging just on the edge of a tall stack.

As the ghoul began to draw closer, he began weaving his spell, forgoing the use of words. Wordless casting was possible, but it was far more difficult than using words to focus the energy. In this case, however, even a whisper could mean the difference between life or death, so Dresden was willing to risk it.

When the Ghoul was as far away as possible, he let loose the energy. It was weak, but it was just enough to knock the box over. With a resounding _CRASH,_ it fell upon the floor.

The Ghoul reacted immediately, turning around inhumanely fast. It bounded forward to the box, sniffing around. It looked downwards towards the box, growling. While it was distracted, Dresden hauled himself over the box, carefully creeping towards the door, watching the ghoul's every move.

When he reached the door, Dresden looked back. The Ghoul was crouching over something, something which wriggled, and had brown fur. Dresden watched as, with one talon, the ghoul sliced downwards, cutting off the motion and spraying liquid in multiple directions. After that, there were a few savage tearing sounds, and the ghoul knelt down, and began to chew on something very wet, and very tough.

Dresden shivered. Ghouls were heavy meat-eaters, and could eat as much as 50 pounds in a single filling. Human, deer, it didn't really matter to them.

Dresden left the beast to its' meal, tip-toeing out the door and over the soft grass to his car. He got in and, as quietly as he could, shut the door and started the car. It sputtered a bit, but the engine started uncharacteristically fast. He thanked his lucky stars and turned, speeding down the road.

One last time, Dresden looked in his mirror, making sure he wasn't being followed. There, in the entrance, stood the Ghoul, blood leaking down its' mouth and spattering his chest. It watched Dresden with angry eyes, flexing its' talons.

Dresden gave another shudder, and slammed down even harder on the pedal, urging every ounce of speed from the Beetle.

…..

Dresden got back to his apartment later, having to endure a half hours' worth of late Chicago traffic in the comparatively short distance between the warehouse and his place. He trudged wearily through the threshold, rubbing his aching ribs and back. He set aside his staff and shutting the heavy steel door behind him, locking the bolts in place. When he turned around, Dresden suddenly realized that he wasn't alone in the room.

Sitting there, comfortable and relaxed in Dresden's love seat, there was an old man. He was of Asian descent, with hair that was silver at the temples, and jet black on-top, swept back towards his neck reaching shoulder level. His eyes were dark brown, almost black, and he wore a dark green suit.

As Dresden entered, the man looked at him smiling with crooked, yellow teeth.

"Greetings, Mr. Dresden." The man said, his voice low and smooth, but carrying a dangerous undercurrent. "My name is Yùlóng Sǐwáng, though for the purpose of this conversation, you may call me Mr. Yu. Care to take a seat? Perhaps have a glass of tea?"

Dresdan glared suspiciously at the man. Random strangers sitting in his apartment didn't sit well with him, doubly so after getting the sod kicked out of him. Before he could tell the man to get the hell out, however, Ruby came out of the kitchen, bearing a second platter of tea. She turned to Dresden, grinning.

"He came about ten minutes ago." She began to explain. "He said he had a business thing for you, and I didn't wanna send him away, so I invited him in until you came back."

She walked up and set the tea on the coffee table, and as she bent down, Dresden caught the sight of something red outlined against her black corset.

Dresden knew the sight of Crescent Rose by now when he saw it. She'd shown it to him, in its' multiple forms, before. She normally didn't wear it around the apartment, meaning she was being extra cautious by having a weapon close by, should anything happen. Which, in turn, meant that she was just as put-off by the stranger as he was.

Grinning internally, Dresden realized she was taking his lessons to heart. One day, she might even make a proper paranoid wizard hiding in the woods.

Ruby stood up, and the weapon was concealed back beneath her crimson cloak. She turned around, walking to Dresden, raising an eyebrow in silent question.

"Where's Yang?" Dresden asked.

"She went out for a bit." Ruby replied. "I think she feels a bit guilty that you have to pay for us."

"She know her way around the city? I don't want her to get lost."

Ruby gave a noncommittal shrug. "She'll find her way around some way. She's always been pretty independent."

Dresden nodded. "Alright. Can you go into the room? I need to have a… _private_ conversation with our guest."

Ruby gave a large groan and sagged her shoulders. "Yes, mom." She muttered, although the tone suggest it was more playful in nature.

Dresden smiled. "Don't forget to brush your teeth, squirt."

Ruby gave an even more exaggerated moan, shutting the door behind her.

 _Won't help to have some backup._ Dresden thought ruefully, turning back to Mr. Yu. He simply sat there, calmly sipping his tea.

"Have a seat, Mr. Dresden." Mr. Yu said, indicating a seat across from him. Dresden took the seat, examining his opponent more closely. His skin seemed sallow, almost grey, and his gaunt cheekbones and sunken eyes gave him a look of weariness and malnutrition.

Mr. Yu reached forward, grasping the handle of the tea pot slowly. He poured another cup, then motioned to Dresden. Leaning forward, Dresden grasped the cup. He waited for Mr. Yu to take a sip, before doing so himself.

Mr. Yu set his cup down, looking back up at Dresden. "Quite the courteous young woman." He said. "Inviting me inside, giving me tea, even allowing my old bones to sit on this couch."

The way the old Chinese man stressed the word _invited_ gave Dresden a momentary pause. Cautiously, he asked "Who are you and what do you want?"

Mr. Yu took another sip of tea. "Allow me to, as you say, be frank with you. I am here about the damage done to my warehouse, and to my property."

"That warehouse is listed as abandoned." Dresden retorted.

The old man gave a short chuckle, although Dresden would rather compare it to a hyena's laugh. "Forgive my presumption, Dresden." He said. "But you and I both know that all things are not as they seem."

Dresden's eyes narrowed, and he chose his next words very carefully.

"I'm have no idea what you're talking about."

The old man shook his head. "Coyness is unbecoming of one so infamous through the underworld, Mr. Dresden. Especially after all you've done."

Dresden froze, and the old businessman continued. "Indeed, your investigation was not unexpected, though it occurred sooner than I had thought. Originally, the plan had been to burn it down with you inside. After certain articles had been evacuated, of course."

Dresden's heart leaped into his throat, and he reached into his coat, feeling for his wand. Yu simply sat there, smiling.

"Oh, come now, Dresden." He drawled. "I've been invited here under the condition of peace. You wouldn't want to hurt poor Ms. Rose, would you?"

Dresden stopped, thinking back on his words.

 _Damnit. Damn it all._

Ruby had invited the man into the apartment, on the condition that there would be "peace". For a normal human, this wasn't anything major: violating a pact made in faith would result in a few people trusting you less, but for a wizard like Dresden, doing that had consequences. Not big ones, true, but repeated actions could drain faster than one would think possible. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

"She's not a talent." He growled.

"Can you be so sure?" Yu asked, tilting his head. "Even I could feel her power. And, as you are well aware by now, my kind are experts on the subject."

Dresden could practically feel his own rage as a pounding against his head, but he forced himself to cool down, removing his hand from the coat jacket. If he couldn't attack, then Mr. Undead Chinese Vampire wouldn't be able to do so, either. At least, not without sacrificing a bit of his own power.

Of course, it occurred to Dresden that he _could_ be lying to him, but then, why hadn't Yu attacked already?

Besides, he still had his wand, and Ruby herself was just beyond the door, unable to hear them talk, but still well within' shouting distance. If push came to shove, he could defend himself.

Maybe.

"What do you want." Dresden repeated, gritting his teeth.

Mr. Yu leaned back, smiling openly. "Drop this case, Dresden." He said. "Give me what you stole, and stop interfering with my plans. In exchange, I will leave you and your codependents alone."

The weight of the flute suddenly felt heavy in his jacket.

"And if I don't?"

"If you don't, then all is fair game." He coolly replied. "Friends, family, your own home, et al."

Dresden frowned, thinking. On one hand, he didn't want to put people in danger: he knew that feeling, and he didn't want to risk other people.

On the other hand, he didn't trust this guy. He might hurt his friends anyway out of sheer spite: it wouldn't be the first time. And, undoubtedly, whatever he was doing wouldn't be good for the people.

"You know I never back out of a case." He said. "Once I start something, I finish it, one way or another."

Mr. Yu frowned. "I had hoped you would make an exception, just this once."

Dresden shook his head. "No deal. I'm not about to let this one go. Especially not after you tried to assassinate me."

"Assassinate is such an ugly word." Yu replied. "I prefer 'remove from play'."

He stood up, and Dresden heard his bones crack. He turned and hobbled stiff-legged to the door, opening it and taking a step out. Before he closed it, he turned, talking back. "I find this regrettable, Dresden. I had hoped to reach a mutually beneficial agreement."

"You don't seem too bummed about it, considering your first plan was to assassinate me. Hell's bells, it takes some pretty big stupidity to think I'm willing to forgive and forget after that."

Yu shrugged. "It was never personal."

With that, he shut the door. Dresden listened to the heavy footfalls walk down the hall, before they faded out entirely.

After he could be sure that the vampire was gone, he slumped back into his chair, finally allowing himself to relax.

Ruby came back into the room, and the expression on her face implied that she had been listening the whole time. She sat across from Dresden, and neither spoke for the longest time.

Ruby was the first one to break the silence.

"This sounds bad." She said.

"M-hm."

"Like, _really_ bad." Ruby continued. "Like, fire in a dust factory bad."

"Yep." Dresden sighed, rubbing his temples.

"What are we going to do?"

"Same thing I always do." Dresden said, grimacing. "Figure out what they're doing and stop them. And try not to die in the process."

Ruby nodded, humming. "You know…you might need a side-kick."

"No."

Ruby turned to Dresden, tilting her head. "Why not?"

"You'd get hurt."

"And I'd be fine, because I have Aura. You don't."

Dresden scowled. She had a point: he sure as hell was a lot squishier than her.

Ruby, seeing Dresden was on the defensive, pressed on. "You can do all the talking, and I can just…sit back, y'know? Watch you, and help you in case you get in a fight."

True enough: Stars above knows he get in a lot of fights.

"And, besides, we're safer together. That guy did say all bets were off."

Hells Bells, for a kid who's barely a teenager, she was sharp.

After debating with himself some more, Dresden decided he'd think on it, and told Ruby such. She seemed optimistic, but apprehensive.

Yang came in a little while later, and Dresden filled her in on what had happened. She was wary, at first, but eventually acquiesced to whatever Dresden decided.

"Not like we have anything better to do right now." She said, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "And hey, it'll keep her out of trouble."

So, after the negotiations were all said and done, everybody went to bed, awaiting the next day: Yang and Ruby in the master bed, Dresden on the couch, as had become their ritual.

….

A/N Sorry this took so long, guys! But I had some events occurring in my life that stopped me from writing (the least of which wasn't my charger breaking). Anyway, enjoy! And remember: It's not a Dresden story if Dresden doesn't get the crap beat out of him!


	8. Home Invasion

Next morning's breakfast was slightly more tense than usual, in Dresden's mind.

Ruby had woken up early, anticipating the coming day, and a final end to the boredom of sitting around the apartment and taking occasional walks with Mouse, while Dresden and Yang explored and went around the city. She was, by nature, adventurous, and wasn't content to simply lay about like a couch potato.

Dresden, for his part, was thinking about what to do with the coming day. He had no leads, besides the mysterious flute, and he doubted that Yu and his cronies would be so stupid as to keep that warehouse open as a base.

He didn't have many options: and he doubted many others in the area would have heard of the sudden appearance of the Jade Court, if he hadn't. Except, of course, for one.

He wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of seeing him, but he might have no other choice.

Dresden and Ruby finished their breakfast, and got ready to leave. Dresden took his staff and rod, while Ruby got dressed in her clothes.

Dresden looked at the tiny Huntress, frowning. "Those are the same clothes you had when you came here." He said, eyeing up the dress critically.

Ruby looked down at herself, holding up her red frilled skirt. "Yeah?"

"You haven't changed?"

"No." Ruby admitted. "I didn't exactly have a lot on me when I came through that portal."

Dresden shook his head. "I'm not sitting in a car with you with three-day old clothes on."

"Well, what else am I supposed to wear?"

Dresden thought a moment, looking Ruby up and down. He thought about his options, then snapped his fingers. "I've got an idea." He said.

He led Ruby to his room, rummaging through his drawers. He drew out a simple shirt and pair of jeans, throwing them onto the bed. Taking a pair of scissors, he cut them to what he thought was Ruby's length.

"Try that." He said.

Ruby looked at the clothes skeptically, taking note of their age and worn look.

Though, she did admit, they smelled a bit better than her current clothes, and less dirty.

She went into Dresden's bathroom and changed, coming out a few minutes later. She wore a dark grey shirt, which hung down to slightly below her hips. Her worn blue jeans were baggy, but they were held by a dark belt, also supplied by Dresden. Finally, she wore a leather coat, which Dresden had intended to give to his apprentice, Molly, after she had left it at his house, but never getting around to it.

She looked at herself in the mirror, scowling. "I don't like it." She said, picking at the jeans. "It's way too roomy. I feel like I'll blow away in the wind!"

Dresden ruffled her hair, causing her scowl to deepen even further as she tried to fix it. "Relax, kid, you'll get used to it." He teased.

 _And not to mention it makes you look like a generic inner city kid, rather than somebody from an alternate dimension._ He thought. _That's less of a target on my back._

At this moment, Yang had come in, finished cleaning the dishes. She looked at her transformed younger sister, nodding. "Lookin' good, sis!" she encouraged, giving the teenager a sincere, radiant smile. "Glad to see you expanding your horizons a bit."

Ruby grumbled, picking at loose strands in the jeans. "I don't know how you walk in this stuff." She mumbled.

Dresden, for his part, put Ruby's clothes in the laundry basket, except for one. When he got to the scarlet cloak, Ruby spun around, quick as a viper, and snatched it out of his hand.

"Not that one." She snapped. "That stays with me."

Dresden arched an eyebrow, looking at Ruby, which caused her to look away, embarrassed.

"Sorry." She said. "It's just…it's sentimental, you know?"

Dresden was briefly reminded of the pendant under his shirt.

"It's alright." He said, and pushed no further.

After that, he and Ruby left through the door, with Yang staying back.

"I'll hold down the home fort." She said, leaning in the doorway. "Make sure none of those creeps you told me about come walking in."

Dresden would've asked if she could handle it, but at this point, she would be better prepared then he would. So, with a simple goodbye, he and Ruby left, heading to the Blue Beetle.

"So, what's first, partner?" Ruby asked, her cheerful and curious demeanor returned full-force.

Dresden was silent for a moment, waiting for the Blue Beetle to start up.

"We need to go find somebody who's in touch with the various vampire courts of the city. Since the Red Court…isn't an option, and I don't like talking to people whose breathe smells like week-old corpse, I need to contact the White Court."

"White Court?"

"Emotion vampires." Dresden explained. "Rage, Fear, though the most common one is Lust."

"So, instead of taking blood, they eat emotions?"

"Basically? Yeah."

"Weird. So, who are we seeing?"

"A good friend of mine. Name's Thomas. He'll probably be able to give us some of the info we need."

The rest of the trip passed in relative silence, with Ruby looking out the window at the various sights of Chicago. Sometimes, she would silently whisper something to herself, or give a muffled "Woah" but other than that, she made no other noises.

Eventually, Ruby and Dresden pulled into an apartment complex, in up-town Chicago. After a few months of living with Dresden, Thomas had moved into his own place, his own apartment. At first, Dresden had been lonely (not that he'd ever tell Thomas that: to Dresden, Thomas's head was already big enough without him adding more hot air), but he'd adapted, like he always did.

And now, here they were, outside Thomas Raith's apartment, seeking information. How the tables turned, indeed

Dresden shut the Beetle off, and both he and Ruby stepped out of the small car, slamming the doors behind them. The building itself was of high quality, a wealthy complex catering to the upper class and visiting businessmen. It was mostly marble and steel, much more modern than the brick and mortar of downtown.

Normally, it was not a place Dresden would have visited, for the same reason he never stayed in hospitals: most of these places were heavy in electric wiring and tech. And, because of his ability as a walking EMP, Dresden's mere presence caused potential danger, especially if he short-circuited a nearby electrical socket or light fixture.

 _And besides,_ Dresden thought ruefully, _I couldn't afford a closet here._

The automatic doors to the building stuttered slightly, then opened, albeit slowly. The lobby was every bit as pristine and clean as the outside of the building. Fine wooden board compromised the floor, reflecting the glow of the orange lights into the white walls. A humble desk sat in the middle, in front of a bubbling fountain, and at it sat an elderly valet in a trim red suit.

Dresden and Ruby walked up to the valet, who smiled warmly at them. "Welcome to the Red Lantern hotel and hospitality club." He said. "Would you two like a room?"

"Actually," Dresden replied, keeping his voice as businesslike as possible. "We're looking for one of the guests here. Thomas Raith."

"Raith, Raith…" the valet murmured, flipping through an ancient-looking log book. "Ah, yes. He's in the penthouse suite, floor 13."

He looked up, peering over his monocles. "I assume you're more of his patients?"

"Patients?"

"Mr. Raith had other guests recently. Said they had an appointment with their chiropractor here."

 _Chiropractor?_

"Thank you." Dresden said abruptly, turning on his heels and heading for the stairs. Ruby followed him, almost jogging to keep up with his fast-paced strides. When they reached the door, Dresden opened it, and allowed Ruby to go through first.

"You didn't say your friend was a doctor." She said as Dresden stepped through, shutting the door behind them. He turned to her, grimacing.

"Chiropractor. And he isn't."

Ruby frowned, her dark eyebrows furrowed in thought. "But the valet said…"

"The valet told us what he thought was true." Dresden interrupted, gripping his staff. "And sometimes, what we think is true, really isn't."

"Like that stuff you told me about before? Glimmer?"

"No. This is just somebody lying through their teeth. But you get the idea."

Ruby nodded tersely, reaching behind her cloak and withdrawing her weapon. A small section popped out of the back, shaping into the rough shape of a gun butte, while a scope popped out of the top.

 _Hell's Bells, I'm glad she brought that along._ Dresden though. He felt the familiar weight of his .44 revolver in his jacket, and wondered for a moment if he should've brought anything bigger. He dismissed the idea out of hand: he had his magic. The gun was usually just a formality.

Besides, he didn't want it to look like he was compensating.

Nodding to the short teen next to him, the two ascended to the stairs. Dresden was reasonably fit, but the room was thirteen stories up, and he needed to move quickly.

Thus, he was surprised to find that, when he got to the top, Ruby was already waiting for him, smiling.

He stopped and stared for a moment. He hadn't seen her pass him. How did she…

"Coming?" she asked sweetly, gesturing to the door. As she did, Dresden swore he could see rose petals falling from the slight movement of her cloak.

Ruby opened the door, holding it open for him. "After you." She said, grinning.

 _I can't be rubbing off on her that quickly._ Dresden thought, giving her a half-hearted scowl before walking through the door.

The hall was much like the lobby, save with fewer pieces of furniture. At the far end was a single door. Or what _would_ have been a door, if it wasn't chipped, cracked, and broken in several places, entire sections missing.

Dresden stopped, reaching back into his coat and drawing out his revolver. At the same time, he primed his shield bracelet, and the kinetic runes on his staff.

"Ruby." He whispered. The redhead looked at him, and he jerked his head to the side, to the end of the hallway. Ruby looked to where he was gesturing, and back at him, nodding, her expression shifting to one of seriousness. She ran down the hall, slightly crouched to muffle her footfalls, and then turned, training her sights on the door.

Dresden turned back to the door, creeping down the hallway slowly, keeping to one side. He had a good view of the door, while giving Ruby a clear shot if anything unexpected came out.

When he was within' a foot of the door, he thought he heard a noise inside, and froze.

There was a shuffle and a grunt, and then the door shattered.

Dresden felt splinters slam into his coat, and he grunted, rolling out of the way.

The first thing he noticed about the thing that came through the door, was that it smelled _awful._ Like, week-old seafood left in the garbage next to a crime scene, awful.

The next thing he noticed was the greened, puffy skin and stiff, thin limbs.

The last thing he noticed was that it was almost directly ontop of him.

Harry cursed, thrusting his staff forward. " _Forz…"_

He got about as far as the 'a' in _Forzare,_ before the vampire slammed him into another wall, knocking the breath out of him. The beast held him tight, and leaned in, it's glossy eyes staring right at Dresden.

"Wizard." It hissed, it's grin revealing long, sharp teeth stained brown. "You are too late."

Dresden coughed, his torso pounding. "And you're an idiot." He replied, giving the undead monster a returned smile. "But hey, so long as we're stating the obvious."

The vampire frowned. "What do you…"

From down the hallway, there was a sound that distinctly resembled that of a battleship cannon, and Dresden didn't see, so much as feel, the bullet tearing through the vampire, violently bursting through the other side. The vampire went down silently, save for the gasp of the bullet tearing what air remained in his lungs out.

Dresden was flung away as it died, sliding along a few feet of carpet. He was still for a moment, and then a hand was at his shoulder. He felt himself roll over, and he gazed into Ruby's worried, panicked face. And he must have gotten a concussion, because he could _swear_ there were rose petals drifting from her hair.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "Are you alright?!"

Dresden groaned, sitting up. He felt like his head split open. His ears rang, and Ruby sounded muffled, like he was wearing a thick pair of ear muffs.

"Ouch. Yeah, I'm fine, pipsqueak." He assured.

"I'm so, so sorry!" she said again, crestfallen. "I just forgot you didn't have an Aura, and I just wanted to get him off you, and I shot him, and now your ears are bleeding, and-"

Dresden held up a hand, stemming the flow of apologies. " 's alright." He said. "The important thing is, you got the creep off me."

He felt his ears. Indeed, there was a little blood there.

"Just a little tear." He said, trying to calm the tiny huntress. "I have some stuff that can fix it up when we get back."

Ruby nodded, a look of relief on her face. She helped Dresden back up, handing him his staff.

Dresden looked to the vampire, whistling in approval. The thing was indeed very, _very_ dead. The bullet had torn through its torso, and there was now more air than flesh in there.

"Alright, my young padawan." He said. "Let's go see if Thomas is still…"

"Alive?" responded a tired, faux-French voice from the door.

Dresden's head whipped around, to find the tired eyes of Thomas Raith staring right back at him, his shirt torn in several places, ripped and bloody. His long, black hair was slick with sweat, and one eye was already bruising. His sawed-off shotgun was held limp in one hand.

"Thomas." Dresden said, as though he hadn't just gotten thrown at a wall. "You look like shit."

Thomas looked Dresden up and down, raising one eyebrow.

"So do you. But then, that's normal for you, isn't it?"

 _Yep._ Dresden thought. _Definitely Thomas._

"So, Harry." Thomas said, dropping the French and jerking a thumb at the corpse. "You must be wondering who these guys are."

"Jade Court." Harry responded, waving it away. "I was hoping you could tell us _why._ "

Thomas frowned, then sighed. "You might want to come in."

….

The interior of Thomas's apartment was completely trashed. Chairs were upended, tables flipped over, and several windows were cracked. In one corner, Dresden saw two other corpses, peppered with bullet holes and stab wounds.

"Friends of the guy your kid killed." Thomas explained. "They thought they had the situation handled."

"Speaking from experience, there's not a person in the world who can handle your situation, Mr. Drama Queen." Dresden said, a tired grin over his face.

"Says the guy who gets involved in a new plot to end the world every week." Thomas shot back.

"Every _other_ week."

"Does it matter?"

"Touché." Dresden said.

The three of them sat at the remains of a table, drinking from glasses of alcohol. Thomas and Dresden took coffee, while Ruby had a chilled glass of skim milk.

They all took sips from their drinks at roughly the same time, and while Ruby and Dresden enjoyed theirs, Thomas began talking.

"Jade Court, as you know already." He began. "Real bad news. They practically own Asia, and normally, they're content to stay to their little slice of pie. But something's brought them here."

"Their first act," Thomas said, setting several polaroid photographs in front of them. "Was to blitz the other Courts."

One photo was of a graveyard, thoroughly smashed and wrecked. The other was of a filming studio burning. The last was of a relatively up-scale mansion, in the middle of what looked to be a riot.

"But they're not actually _taking_ any territory." Thomas said. "Which is really fu-"

He looked sidelong at Ruby, who smiled innocently at him.

"Funny." He finished.

Dresden frowned. "So, they come in, but they don't wanna stick around. What could they be doing?"

Thomas shrugged. "I called in some favors when this started going down. Lana says there was supposed to be a big deal goin' on here. A big artifact or something was supposed to be changing hands."

Thomas turned to look at Dresden, his blue eyes accusing. "And then, some hot-shot wizard apparently broke in where it was being stored and took it, right out from under their noses."

Ruby's expression went from curious to surprised, looking from Thomas to Dresden. "Wait, _you_ did that?" she asked, incredulous

Dresden pointedly ignored her, and nodded. "Yeah, I know that part. Question is, what does the Jade want with it?"

Thomas leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head. "If I had a guess? It's probably something symbolic. A status symbol, to say "Hey, I'm the biggest guy around". That, or another doomsday artifact or something. Mind if I see?"

Dresden reached into his coat, withdrawing the jade flute from within' it. He set the instrument on the table, and Thomas picked it up, examining the instrument. He hummed to himself, eyeing the jade artifact from all angles. He tapped the metal in several places

"Well?" Ruby asked, after a while. Dresden could see that she was getting impatient, going by the way she tapped her heavy boots on the floor. "What can you see?"

"Not a lot." Thomas admitted. "Looks old, but I can't tell how old. Might be magical, might be mundane. I honestly can't tell. I'm sorry."

Dresden sighed. "Alright, then." He said. "There goes that lead."

The three of them stood up, and Thomas showed them to the door, handing the flute to Dresden.

"Sorry I couldn't solve the case, Harry." Thomas said, his voice genuine.

Harry knew Thomas for a while now, long enough to know he was genuinely disappointed with himself for not being able to help.

"Thanks anyway, Thomas." He said. Harry leaned over, looking at the interior of the apartment. "Sure you don't need help, ah, 'cleaning up'?"

"Nah. This isn't the first time something like this has happened."

"Need me to call Murphy?"

Thomas gave a derisive snort. "Aside from her busting my ass? Nah. I've used some basic spells to sound-proof the place decently."

He looked at Ruby, flashing a grin. "Though I don't know how they work against anti-tank rifles." He joked. "Nice piece."

Ruby blushed, looking down. "Thanks." She said.

Dresden looked between the two of them, then looked at Thomas.

"Well, we'll be leaving." He said, grabbing Ruby and steering her towards the stairs. "Besides, I think it's time she got a cold shower."

….

Ruby followed Dresden back to the car, waiting as he started it all up.

Something about the flute Dresden had found really weirded her out. She couldn't explain it; it was like a nagging feeling in the back of her head, like when she wandered into Grimm territory.

But the more she thought about it, the more it bothered her. She only had feelings like this a few times in her life, and each time, it turned out to be something major. A bomb, a train, an attacking Deathstalker…But this felt like none of those things. That flute felt more _sinister._

Dresden saw her staring, and without taking his eyes off the road, asked "Is something wrong?"

Ruby snapped herself out of her thoughts, looking at Dresden. "I don't like this. It smells fishy."

Dresden snorted. "This whole thing is fishy."

"No." Ruby insisted. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. She suddenly head a headache, and her eyelids felt heavy. "This is different. That flute. I think it's evil, or something. I don't know."

Dresden nodded. "Certain objects can take on the traits of their owners. Magic, especially, tends to leave a trace. If the owner was a real piece of work, some of that will rub off."

Ruby nodded. "So, what do we do?"

"I'm going to try and get two birds knocked out with one stone." Dresden said. "You, and your sister, led me to this flute, and the flute led me to the Jade Court. They're connected, somehow. I'm going to see if there's any tracking magic that can help us find anything else. See where to go from there."

"So, little Ms. Rose." Dresden said, pulling into the apartment complex they lived. "It looks like you're the key to this whole case."

 _Key._

That word resonated with Ruby, somehow. She looked at Dresden's coat, where she knew the flute was.

"Key…" she muttered.


End file.
